Rigid Cage Footwear Padding for Support-Cushion Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing footwear fails to provide adequate support and cushioning, leading to increased soreness and fatigue during everyday activities due to insufficient impact and torque protection.
Innovation Solution
A footwear design incorporating a rigid cage with openings and a padding element featuring protrusions, where the padding element is tailored to fit various foot contours based on foot scan data, providing targeted support and cushioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid cage structure is used to provide support, then structural support is improved, but cushioning comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The upper is constructed with different materials and structures in different regions: a rigid cage structure in the midfoot area for support, and softer padding materials in the toe and heel areas for cushioning comfort. This local differentiation allows each region to perform its specific function optimally.
Solution Approach 2:
The footwear upper combines multiple materials including rigid components (for the cage structure), foam padding materials, and textile layers to create a composite structure that simultaneously provides structural support and cushioning comfort across different foot regions.
2Ease of manufacture
If uniform padding is used throughout the footwear, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but adaptability to different foot contours deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The padding element features variable thickness with different regions optimized for different foot contours: thicker padding in high-stress areas and thinner padding in low-stress areas. This localized variation is derived from foot scan data and provides better adaptability while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The padding element's thickness parameter is varied across different locations based on foot scan data, allowing the footwear to adapt to different foot contours and shapes while maintaining a simple manufacturing process through standardized production techniques.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If excessive padding is used to increase cushioning, then cushioning comfort is improved, but structural support deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Padding is strategically placed only in regions where cushioning is needed (toe and heel areas) while the midfoot region maintains a rigid cage structure for support. This localized padding approach prevents compromise of structural integrity while providing necessary cushioning.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of applying padding uniformly throughout the entire footwear, the design uses partial padding only in specific high-stress areas, providing sufficient cushioning where needed without excessive material that would compromise overall structural support.
Data Source
AI summary
Articles of footwear comprising a rigid cage coupled to a sole and comprising a plurality of openings formed in the cage, and a padding element disposed under the rigid cage and comprising a plurality of projections. The projections can each comprise an exterior protrusion extending from the exterior surface of the padding element and disposed within one of the openings in the rigid cage. The projections can each comprise an interior protrusion extending from an interior surface of the padding element. In some embodiments, the size and shape of the interior and/or exterior protrusions can be based on data from a foot scan map.