Segmented Fluid-Filled Footwear Sole for Cushioning and Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sole structures for footwear lack an efficient design that balances cushioning, support, and durability, particularly in areas like the heel and forefoot regions, while also providing adequate traction and stability during various movements.
Innovation Solution
A sole structure incorporating a fluid-filled bladder with segmented compartments and a ribbed outer sole member, where the bladder segments are formed by bonded barrier layers and an overmold portion, providing varying degrees of cushioning and stability, and the ribbed design enhances traction and support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fluid-filled bladder is used in the midsole, then cushioning and durability are improved, but support and stability may be compromised without additional reinforcing structures
Solution Approach 1:
The bladder is divided into multiple segmented compartments rather than a single continuous chamber. This segmentation allows each compartment to independently maintain structural integrity while providing cushioning, preventing the bladder from collapsing or deforming excessively under load, thus maintaining both durability and support.
Solution Approach 2:
Reinforcing structures are pre-integrated into the bladder construction during manufacturing. These reinforcements are positioned in advance to provide structural support where needed, preventing potential failure modes before they occur during use, and ensuring both cushioning and support functions are maintained.
2Reliability
If the bladder is made resilient for cushioning, then comfort is improved, but stability and shape retention deteriorate under applied loads
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the bladder are assigned different properties: some areas are designed to be more resilient for cushioning, while other areas incorporate reinforcing structures for shape retention and stability. This localized differentiation allows the bladder to simultaneously provide comfort through cushioning and maintain structural integrity through strategic reinforcement.
Solution Approach 2:
The bladder construction combines multiple materials with different properties - the bladder material itself for cushioning resilience, and reinforcing materials with higher structural integrity. This composite approach allows the single component to exhibit both compliant cushioning behavior and rigid shape-retention characteristics in different locations.
3Ease of operation
If the bladder surface is made smooth for comfort, then ease of operation is improved, but traction and stability with the ground surface deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The bladder surface features local variations in texture: smooth areas contact the foot for comfort, while other areas have textured or patterned surfaces that contact the ground for enhanced traction. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between comfort and traction by assigning each function to the appropriate surface region.
4Ease of operation
If the bladder is designed for maximum cushioning compliance, then comfort is improved, but durability and resistance to deformation worsen
Solution Approach 1:
Dividing the bladder into segmented compartments prevents excessive deformation in any single area, as each segment can independently manage local stresses. This segmentation maintains overall compliance for comfort while preventing catastrophic failure modes that would compromise durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The combination of compliant bladder material with reinforcing structures creates a composite system that exhibits both the softness needed for comfort and the strength needed for durability. The reinforcing elements prevent excessive deformation while the bladder material provides cushioning compliance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design offers improved cushioning and stability by adapting to different loads, enhances traction through segmented bladder segments and ribbed structures, and increases durability by using a layered construction.
Implementation Method 1
The midsole provides cushioning for the foot and may be partially formed from a polymer foam material that compresses resiliently under an applied load to cushion the foot by attenuating ground-reaction forces
Implementation Method 2
The fluid-filled bladders are pressurized with a fluid such as air, and may incorporate tensile members within the bladder to retain the shape of the bladder when compressed resiliently under applied loads
Implementation Method 3
a bladder formed from two barrier layers of polymer material that are sealed or bonded together
Implementation Method 4
The fluid-filled bladders are pressurized with a fluid such as air
Implementation Method 5
The fluid-filled bladders are pressurized with a fluid such as air, and may incorporate tensile members within the bladder to retain the shape of the bladder when compressed resiliently under applied loads
Implementation Method 6
the ribbed design enhances traction and support
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A
AI summary
An article of footwear comprising: an upper; a sole structure attached to the upper and including a fluid-filled chamber, the fluid-filled chamber including a first portion extending along a medial side of the sole structure, a second portion extending along a lateral side of the sole structure, and a third portion extending between and connecting the first portion and the second portion; and a heel counter extending from a first distal end of the first portion, around a posterior end of the upper, to a second distal end of the second portion.