Removable Outsole Elements With Undercut Cavities

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional outsoles in footwear are permanently fixed, limiting customization, traction adjustment, and recycling, and are environmentally harmful due to the use of adhesives, which restricts user preferences and increases energy consumption in recycling efforts.

Innovation Solution

A removable outsole system with a base and lugs, where the outsole elements have a cavity with an internal undercut to securely attach to the lugs, allowing for interchangeable and resiliently flexible components that can be easily swapped using a tool, enhancing customization and durability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the outsole is permanently fixed to the midsole using adhesives, then the attachment strength is improved, but the environmental harm increases and customization ability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattachment strengthVSAvoidenvironmental harm from adhesives

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the adhesive bonding step entirely by extracting the harmful chemical attachment method and replacing it with a purely mechanical attachment system using lugs that fit into cavities with interference fits, eliminating environmental harm while maintaining attachment strength

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The outsole is divided into multiple removable outsole elements that can be individually attached and detached from the midsole via lugs, enabling customization and replacement without affecting the entire footwear structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Stability of the object's composition

If the outsole is permanently fixed, then the structural stability is improved, but the customization ability and aesthetic flexibility decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidcustomization ability

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms the static, permanent outsole into a dynamic, replaceable component system where outsole elements can be attached and detached as needed, allowing the footwear to adapt to different terrain, weather, and aesthetic preferences while maintaining structural stability through secure lug-cavity connections

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of manufacture

If the outsole is permanently bonded, then the manufacturing simplicity is improved, but the recycling energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidrecycling energy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSUse of energy by stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the outsole into removable elements attached via mechanical lugs rather than permanent adhesives, the patent enables easy separation of outsole materials from the midsole during recycling, reducing the energy required to process and separate materials compared to chemically bonded constructions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Reliability

If the outsole wears quickly, then the initial traction performance is maintained, but the usable life of the footwear decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetraction performanceVSAvoidusable life of footwear

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables recovery and reuse of the durable midsole structure by allowing worn outsole elements to be detached and replaced with new ones, extending the usable life of the footwear by recovering the valuable midsole component while discarding only the worn outsole elements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Data Source

PatentUS9439478B2Removable outsole elements for articles of footwear

Publication Date: 2016.09.13 NIKE INC

AI summary

An outsole element for an article of footwear having a base and a lug that extends from the base. The outsole element includes a body and a cavity defined in the body. The cavity receives the lug to removably couple the body to the lug. Also, the cavity includes an internal undercut.