Multipart Strobel Structure for Lightweight Footwear Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for constructing footwear do not adequately enhance performance and comfort, particularly in the integration of sole structures with uppers, leading to inefficiencies and potential discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A multipart strobel structure is introduced, comprising a transition strip and an inner strobel temporarily attached with removable stitches, allowing for efficient assembly and disassembly, reducing layer thickness and weight, and enhancing comfort by minimizing layers between the foot and sole structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a conventional single-layer strobel structure is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the footwear weight is excessive and comfort is reduced due to multiple layers between the foot and sole
Solution Approach 1:
The strobel structure is divided into multiple separate components: an inner strobel, an outer strobel, and a transition strip. These segmented parts are temporarily attached during assembly to minimize layer thickness and weight, then permanently joined to provide structural support. This segmentation allows weight reduction while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through staged assembly processes.
2Strength
If multiple layers are used in the strobel structure, then structural integrity is improved, but comfort is reduced due to increased thickness between the foot and sole
Solution Approach 1:
The inner strobel is nested within the outer strobel structure, with the transition strip positioned between them. This nested arrangement allows multiple functional layers to be integrated in a space-efficient manner, providing the structural integrity of multiple layers while minimizing the overall thickness between the foot and sole surface.
3Productivity
If a multipart strobel structure with temporary attachments is used, then assembly efficiency is improved and layers are minimized, but the manufacturing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inner strobel, outer strobel, and transition strip are pre-assembled with temporary attachments (such as temporary stitches or adhesives) before being integrated into the footwear. This preliminary assembly allows the multipart structure to be prepared in advance, streamlining the main assembly process and improving overall productivity despite the increased initial manufacturing complexity.
4Weight of moving object
If the strobel structure is simplified to reduce weight, then comfort is improved, but structural integrity during manufacturing may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The strobel structure employs dynamic characteristics through its multipart design with temporary attachments that can be easily added or removed during different manufacturing stages. During assembly, the temporary attachments provide the necessary structural integrity and stability, while the lightweight nature of the individual components is preserved. The structure transitions from a temporary state during manufacturing to a permanent integrated structure in the final product.
Data Source
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AI summary
An article of footwear includes an upper, a transition strip and a sole structure with an upper surface and a ground-contacting surface opposite the upper surface. The upper has a bottom portion that includes a lower perimeter edge of the upper. The transition strip has an outer perimeter edge, an inner perimeter edge, and a width between the outer perimeter edge and the inner perimeter edge. The inner perimeter edge defines an internal opening of the transition strip. The upper surface of the sole structure has a perimeter portion that extends along a perimeter of the upper surface and an internal portion that is surrounded by the perimeter portion. The transition strip is secured to the bottom portion of the upper along the lower perimeter edge, the lower perimeter edge of the upper and the transition strip are secured to the perimeter portion of the upper surface of the sole structure with the inner perimeter edge of the transition strip defining an inner boundary of the perimeter portion, and the internal portion of the upper surface of the sole structure is exposed by the internal opening of the transition strip.