Shoe Plate With Alternating Protrusions For Arch Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shoes with midsole plates struggle to balance impact cushioning and stability, particularly in suppressing arch falling and midsole deformation during the ground contact and take-off phases.
Innovation Solution
A shoe design featuring a plate with a front support portion overlapping the MP joints and a center support portion with alternating upward and downward protrusions, integrated within a midsole that supports the forefoot and midfoot, ensuring contiguous support and enhanced bending rigidity to prevent arch falling and midsole deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the material forming the midsole is reduced in weight and/or hardness to enhance impact cushioning property, then impact cushioning is improved, but stability deteriorates due to excessive midsole deformation and arch falling
Solution Approach 1:
The plate is segmented into multiple functional portions: a front support portion with upward protrusions for arch support, a center support portion with downward protrusions for midfoot support, and a rear support portion. This segmentation allows each portion to independently address specific stability requirements while the overall structure maintains impact cushioning through the compliant midsole material.
Solution Approach 2:
The plate incorporates localized structural features with different geometries at different positions: upward protrusions in the front support portion for arch stabilization, downward protrusions in the center support portion for midfoot control, and specific curvature radii (R1, R2, R3) tailored to each region's mechanical requirements. This local quality optimization provides targeted stability enhancement without compromising overall cushioning performance.
2Ease of operation
If the midsole material is made softer to improve cushioning, then comfort is improved, but the ability to suppress arch falling and excessive deformation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The plate acts as an intermediary structural element between the soft midsole material and the foot. It provides rigid geometric features (protrusions, curved surfaces with specific radii) that stabilize the arch and prevent excessive deformation, while allowing the soft midsole to maintain its cushioning function. The plate mediates between the conflicting requirements of softness for comfort and rigidity for stability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid plate structure is used to prevent deformation, then stability is improved, but impact cushioning deteriorates due to excessive stiffness
Solution Approach 1:
The plate utilizes thin-walled geometric structures with curved surfaces and strategic protrusions that provide high bending rigidity in specific directions (arch support, midfoot stability) while maintaining overall flexibility. The thin-walled design with optimized curvature radii (R1=5-15mm, R2=10-20mm, R3=15-25mm) allows the plate to resist deformation where needed while permitting controlled flexing for impact absorption, avoiding the excessive stiffness of solid rigid structures.
Data Source
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AI summary
A plate (300) is used for a sole (10) forming a part of a shoe (1). The plate (300) includes a front support portion (310) and a center support portion (320). The front support portion (310) is formed in a flat shape or a curved shape with a single downward protrusion in a cross section in a foot width direction, when the sole (10) is placed on a flat plane. The center support portion (320) has a shape with an upward protrusion and a downward protrusion arranged alternately in the foot width direction in a cross section in the foot width direction, when the sole (10) is placed on the flat plane, where the upward protrusion has a shape curved to protrude upward and the downward protrusion has a shape curved to protrude downward.