Shoe Midsole Wavy Sheet for Landing Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing midsole structures for shoes fail to adequately combine landing stability and cushioning properties, particularly at the heel central portion, with load guidance and cushioning properties often being mutually exclusive.

Innovation Solution

A midsole structure featuring an upper and lower midsole with a wavy sheet interposed between them, where the wavy sheet has a wavy shape on the medial and lateral sides and a planar shape at the central portion, and the midsoles have corresponding wavy and planar surfaces, along with longitudinal recesses that function as cushioning holes to enhance cushioning and control bending direction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a planar shape is used at the heel central portion of the sheet-like member, then cushioning properties are secured, but load guidance function is inadequate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecushioning propertiesVSAvoidload guidance function

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The sheet-like member features different shapes at different locations: a planar shape at the heel central portion for cushioning, and wavy shapes at the medial and lateral sides for load guidance. This local differentiation allows each region to perform its specific function optimally without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If a wavy shape is used at the heel central portion of the wavy sheet, then load guidance function is improved, but cushioning properties are restricted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveload guidance functionVSAvoidcushioning properties

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The wavy sheet is designed with spatially varying geometry where the heel central portion maintains a planar shape to preserve cushioning properties, while the medial and lateral sides adopt wavy shapes to enhance load guidance function. This resolves the contradiction by assigning different geometric characteristics to different functional zones.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If cushioning holes are provided at the heel central portion, then cushioning properties are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecushioning propertiesVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The lower midsole is designed with a porous foam structure throughout the heel region, providing cushioning properties through the material's inherent porosity rather than requiring discrete cushioning holes. This approach improves cushioning while avoiding the structural complexity and potential instability that would result from adding holes to an otherwise solid structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

Data Source

PatentUS11284670B2Midsole structure for a shoe

Publication Date: 2022.03.29 MIZUNO CORPORATION

AI summary

A midsole structure of a shoe includes an upper midsole, a lower midsole disposed below the upper midsole, and a wavy sheet interposed between the upper midsole and the lower midsole. The wavy sheet has a wavy shape at its medial and lateral side edge portions and a planar area at its central portion. The lower surface of the upper midsole and the upper surface of the lower midsole have wavy shapes that correspond to the wavy shape of the wavy sheet at their medial and lateral side edge portions and have a planar area that corresponds to the planar area of the wavy sheet at their central portions. The lower surface of the upper midsole and the upper surface of the lower midsole have a plurality of recesses that are disposed in the longitudinal direction at their central portions.