Flexible Plastic Shoe Sole With Upward Appendix Groove
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing low, flat-soled shoes with a stitched upper are unsuitable for industrial production due to difficulty in working within the notch and result in stitching-induced swelling, reducing comfort.
Innovation Solution
A sole made of flexible plastic material with a flat-shaped element and an appendix that develops upwards to form a groove for stitching, allowing for a single-piece construction that includes a cavity for an insole and a deformable wing to cover the stitching zone, enhancing comfort and simplifying manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the upper is stitched directly to a flat leather sole with a perimetral notch, then the shoe construction is simple and suitable for handmade production, but the stitching excessively swells the perimetral zone of the sole, reducing comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The sole is segmented into a flat-shaped element and a separate appendix structure. The appendix is positioned at the perimetral zone and includes a groove for receiving the upper edge, while the flat-shaped element forms the main sole body. This segmentation allows the stitching to occur in the groove rather than directly on the sole surface, preventing swelling of the perimetral zone while maintaining construction simplicity.
2Ease of manufacture
If manual stitching is used to attach the upper to the sole with a perimetral notch, then handmade production is feasible, but the method is not suitable for industrial production due to difficulty of working within the notch
Solution Approach 1:
The appendix acts as an intermediary structure between the upper and the flat-shaped sole element. It provides a groove that receives the upper edge, creating an accessible stitching zone that can be easily worked on by both manual and automated stitching machines. This intermediary structure eliminates the difficulty of working within a perimetral notch while maintaining the simplicity of flat sole construction.
3Device complexity
If a single piece of leather sole is used with perimetral stitching, then the sole structure is simple, but the stitching zone swelling reduces the comfort of the shoe
Solution Approach 1:
The stitching function is extracted from the main sole body and placed into the appendix structure. The groove in the appendix provides a dedicated space for the upper edge and stitching, separating the stitching activity from the flat-shaped element that contacts the foot. This extraction eliminates the harmful swelling effect on the perimetral zone while preserving the simplicity of the overall sole structure.
Data Source
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AI summary
Sole for shoes (10) made of a plastic material, comprising a highly flexible flat-shaped element (11), defining at the lower part a tread (12), and an appendix (13) that develops upwards along the zone of the flat-shaped element (11), said appendix (13) and said flat-shaped element (11) delimiting thereinbetween a groove (16) open in a side direction relative to the sole and designed for receiving the edge (18A) of an upper (18) to be associated to the sole (10) for constructing a shoe (21).