Shoe Peg Interlock Eliminates Toxic Adhesives
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shoe manufacturing techniques struggle to produce shoes that are comfortable, lightweight, sturdy, durable, and breathable while being inexpensive, efficient, and safe, often relying on expensive, labor-intensive methods and hazardous materials like glues or sealants.
Innovation Solution
A shoe design featuring a shoe upper with holes, an outer sole with corresponding holes, and an inner sole with pegs that extend through these holes, eliminating the need for toxic adhesives and allowing for a resilient, deformable sole structure that is easy to manufacture and assemble without cooling processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional manufacturing techniques using glues or sealants are employed, then shoes can be produced with good structural integrity, but the manufacturing process becomes hazardous due to toxic fumes and requires time-consuming cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the harmful adhesive substances from the manufacturing process entirely. Instead of using glues or sealants to bond the sole to the upper, the invention uses mechanical interlocking through protrusions that fit into recesses, eliminating toxic fumes and cooling requirements while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical bonding system (adhesives requiring cooling) with a mechanical interlocking system. The protrusions and recesses create a physical connection that does not require chemical substances, thereby eliminating harmful fumes and the need for cooling processes.
2Reliability
If traditional manufacturing techniques are employed, then shoes can achieve desired quality, but the manufacturing process becomes expensive and labor intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The shoe is divided into modular components (upper, sole, and protrusions) that can be manufactured separately and assembled through simple insertion. This segmentation allows for efficient production, reduced labor costs, and the ability to manufacture components using cost-effective materials and processes while maintaining overall shoe quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusions are designed to be inserted through holes in the upper and into recesses in the sole without requiring additional bonding agents or complex assembly equipment. The mechanical interlocking system is self-sufficient, eliminating the need for expensive adhesives and complex manufacturing steps, thereby reducing production costs while maintaining quality.
3Ease of manufacture
If simpler manufacturing techniques like flip-flop production are used, then manufacturing costs are reduced, but the product lacks durability and practical use
Solution Approach 1:
The protrusions are made of resilient, deformable material that can flex and adapt during use. This dynamic characteristic allows the sole to absorb shocks and withstand repeated stress cycles, significantly improving durability compared to rigid, simple constructions like flip-flops, while maintaining cost-effective manufacturing through simple insertion processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses resilient, deformable material for both the protrusions and the sole, creating a composite structure that combines flexibility with strength. This material choice enables the product to achieve durability comparable to traditional shoes while maintaining the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of simpler manufacturing techniques.
Data Source
AI summary
A shoe, and method of manufacture, including (i) a shoe upper having an arrangement of holes in the bottom surface, (ii) an outer sole having an arrangement of holes corresponding to the arrangement of holes in the bottom surface of the shoe upper, and (iii) an inner sole disposed within the shoe upper, the inner sole having a plurality of pegs that extend from its bottom surface that are arranged in alignment with the arrangement of holes in the shoe upper and outer sole when the inner sole is disposed within the shoe upper, each peg extending downwardly through its associated hole in the shoe upper and the outer sole, so that, in the preferred embodiment, the bottom surface of each peg is exposed to, and forms part of, bottom surface of the shoe.