Shoe Outsole Dome Protrusions Shock Absorption

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional shoe soles face a trade-off between shock absorbency and resilient elasticity, making it difficult to improve both properties simultaneously without increasing weight and complexity, leading to potential joint degeneration and back pain during walking or running.

Innovation Solution

A shoe design featuring a first outsole with dome-shaped protrusions and a second outsole with downward protrusions, bonded using high-frequency bonding, made of thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) materials, which enhances shock absorption and elastic recovery while maintaining a lightweight and secure grip.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the shoe sole uses materials with excellent shock absorbency, then shock absorbency is improved, but resilient elasticity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshock absorbencyVSAvoidresilient elasticity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The shoe sole is divided into multiple protruding portions (first and second protruding portions) that can independently deform and recover. Each protruding portion acts as an independent shock absorption unit, allowing the sole to absorb shocks through localized deformation while maintaining overall structural resilience through the array of segmented elements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The protruding portions are given dome-shaped or hemispherical curved surfaces instead of flat geometries. This curvature enables more effective elastic deformation and energy absorption during impact, while the rounded shape allows for smoother stress distribution and better recovery, simultaneously improving both shock absorbency and resilient elasticity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Reliability

If the shoe sole structure is made complicated to improve both shock absorbency and resilient elasticity, then performance is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshock absorbency and resilient elasticityVSAvoidsole structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple protruding portions are integrated into a single outsole structure that is formed as one piece or closely connected components. This merging approach allows the complex functionality of multiple shock absorption elements to be achieved without requiring separate assemblies, thereby improving performance while controlling structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The protruding portions serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide shock absorption during impact, maintain resilient elasticity for foot lift, and create grip force through their surface geometry. This multi-functionality allows a single structural feature to address multiple performance requirements without adding separate components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If multiple parts are employed in the insole, midsole, and outsole to improve shock absorbency and resilient elasticity, then performance is improved, but weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshock absorbency and resilient elasticityVSAvoidshoe weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The outsole with multiple protruding portions is designed as an integrated structure that combines shock absorption, elasticity, and grip functions in a single component. This merging eliminates the need for separate air tubes, injection structures, and other additional parts, thereby improving performance while reducing overall shoe weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 effectively improves shock absorbency, resilient elasticity, and grip force, preventing ankle sprains while maintaining a lightweight structure and simplifying the manufacturing process.

Implementation Method 1

the shoe sole is required to reduce the impact transmitted to the human sole

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectShock absorption: Damping

Implementation Method 2

the shoe sole requires both the absorbency for shocks that should be reduced when stepping on the ground, and the resilient elasticity that should be increased when raising the foot from the ground

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 3

made of thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) materials, which enhances shock absorption and elastic recovery

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectViscoelasticity: Viscoelasticity

Data Source

PatentUS11464280B2Shoe

Publication Date: 2022.10.11 SUNG HO DONG

AI summary

The present invention is related to a shoe, the shoe including: a first outsole comprising a bottom portion which contacts the ground, and a plurality of first protruding portions each of which has a dome shape and protrudes upward from the bottom portion, and a second outsole comprising a support portion disposed on the bottom portion, and a plurality of second protruding portions each of which has a dome shape and protrudes downward from the support portion. Protruding end portions of the plurality of second protruding portions are bonded to protruding end portions of the plurality of first protruding portions, respectively.