Shoe Air Pump with Spring Element Surrounding Bellows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shoe designs with air pump devices in the heel area face challenges in achieving high air throughput and long service life under heavy strain while minimizing the risk of lateral buckling, as they require a balance between compressible and elastic materials that are difficult to produce and maintain.
Innovation Solution
A shoe with a V-shaped or U-shaped spring element encompassing a bellows made of elastic plastic material, featuring a multi-layer sole construction with compressible midsole and outsole layers, and stabilizer spring elements that distribute compressive force to maintain shape and stability, allowing for efficient air compression and expansion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the sole construction is made very flexible or soft to fully compress the bellows under load, then the bellows volume is maximized and air throughput is improved, but the service life is reduced due to excessive deformation and loss of structural stability
Solution Approach 1:
The sole construction uses a composite structure combining a flexible midsole layer (for bellows compression) with a rigid outsole layer (for structural stability). This multi-material approach allows the bellows to be fully compressed under load for maximum air throughput while the rigid outsole prevents excessive deformation and maintains service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The sole is divided into functionally distinct layers: a compressible midsole layer containing the bellows for air pumping, and a rigid outsole layer providing structural support. This segmentation allows each layer to optimize its specific function without compromising the other.
2Reliability
If the sole construction is made rigid to maintain structural stability and reduce deformation, then service life is improved, but the bellows cannot be fully compressed under load, reducing air throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The composite sole structure allows the rigid outsole to maintain structural stability while the flexible midsole layer enables complete bellows compression. The combination resolves the contradiction by distributing functions across materials with different mechanical properties.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the sole have different mechanical properties: the midsole layer is locally optimized for compressibility to maximize bellows deformation, while the outsole layer is locally optimized for rigidity to maintain overall structural stability.
3Duration of action of moving object
If spiral springs are arranged vertically within the bellows cavity to assist return to original position, then rebound is improved, but the device complexity increases and manufacturing becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The complex spiral spring mechanism is extracted and replaced by the elastic properties of the midsole material itself. The midsole's inherent elasticity provides the necessary rebound force without requiring additional mechanical components, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining rebound performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The midsole material's elastic properties inherently provide the rebound function without requiring separate mechanical assistance. The material serves its primary structural function while simultaneously providing the elastic recovery force needed for bellows rebound.
4Productivity
If the bellows volume is maximized to increase air intake, then air throughput is improved, but the risk of lateral buckling increases under heavy strain
Solution Approach 1:
The composite sole structure provides lateral support through the rigid outsole layer, enabling the bellows to achieve maximum volume without lateral buckling. The rigid layer acts as a constraint that prevents instability while allowing vertical compression.
Solution Approach 2:
The bellows is constructed as a flexible elastic plastic structure that can be fully compressed vertically while the rigid outsole provides lateral confinement, preventing buckling and maintaining structural integrity during compression cycles.
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 solution enables high air throughput with each step and extends the shoe's service life by ensuring complete compression and rapid expansion of the bellows, while stabilizing the foot to reduce distortion and stress on the sole material.
Implementation Method 1
the spring element is elastically deformed by compressing the pressure plates, wherein the deformation takes place substantially at or near the connecting section so that the pressure plates above and below the bellows essentially retain their shape and the bellows arranged between the pressure plates is compressed
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~6
Figure 7A~7C
AI summary
A shoe (1) has an air pump device for blowing air into the interior of the shoe, which includes a bellows (4) formed in the sole construction and enclosing a cavity, an intake channel for transporting air from an intake opening (6) into the bellows (4), an air supply device formed in the sole construction for conveying air from the bellows (4) into the interior of the shoe, and a V- or U-shaped spring element (9) encompassing the bellows (4). An upper leg of the spring element (9) comprises an upper pressure plate arranged above the bellows (4) and below an insole of the sole construction, and a lower leg comprises a lower pressure plate arranged below the bellows (4) and above an outsole layer (16), such that a connecting section (14) connecting the two legs is arranged in the sole construction next to the bellows (4).The air pump device is arranged such that during a walking movement under load on the sole construction, the spring element (9) is elastically deformed by compressing the pressure plates, the deformation taking place essentially at or near the connecting section (14), so that the pressure plates essentially retain their shape and the bellows (4) is compressed.