Shoe sole or insole having sheet-type coated cork coupled thereto, and method for manufacturing same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cork products for shoe soles and insoles face challenges in dynamic strength and wear resistance due to the lack of artificial empty spaces between cork pieces, requiring adhesive bonding which is unsuitable for dynamic activities and involving costly secondary processes.
Innovation Solution
A method of forming a sheet-type coated cork with artificially created empty spaces between crushed cork pieces, using a mixture of cork and latex, and laminating a sole-type body member into these spaces for coupling, eliminating the need for adhesives and secondary processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If cork particles are mixed in a rubber compound to form conventional cork products, then the product achieves structural integrity, but the specific gravity becomes high (0.9 g/cm³) and empty spaces are not substantially formed between cork pieces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies porous materials by intentionally creating empty spaces between cork particles in the rubber compound. The cork particles are arranged and bonded to form a cellular structure with voids, achieving a specific gravity of 0.5-0.96 g/cc compared to conventional 0.9 g/cm³. This porous structure reduces weight while maintaining structural integrity through the rubber matrix that bonds the particles together.
2Ease of manufacture
If adhesive bonding is used to couple cork slice sheet to shoe sole or insole, then the two materials are coupled together, but the coupling is unsuitable for dynamic activities and requires buffing process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cork particles directly into the rubber compound during mixing, forming an integrated composite material where cork particles are uniformly distributed and bonded within the rubber matrix. This eliminates the need for separate adhesive bonding of pre-formed cork sheets, as the cork-rubber composite is molded as a single unified structure, providing superior dynamic strength and eliminating the need for buffing processes.
3Stability of the object's composition
If thermoplastic sponge molding is performed using conventional two-step process of pressing and cooling, then the sponge maintains its shape, but mold price increases and production rotation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes phase transitions of the rubber compound during molding. The rubber compound is heated to a plasticized state for molding, then cooled to solidify and maintain the desired shape. This single-step thermoplastic molding process eliminates the need for separate pressing and cooling steps, reducing mold complexity and increasing production rotation while maintaining shape stability through controlled phase change.
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
Enhances dynamic strength and wear resistance while reducing production costs and mold expenses, with improved cushioning, breathability, and anti-slip properties, suitable for various applications including shoe soles and insoles.
Implementation Method 1
a block-type coated cork in which a plurality of main-body-coupling openings, which are empty spaces, are formed between the crushed cork pieces by naturally drying the mixture of cork and latex for coating and then performing curing
Implementation Method 2
by naturally drying the mixture of cork and latex for coating and then performing curing
Implementation Method 3
by naturally drying the mixture of cork and latex for coating and then performing curing
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a technique capable of overcoming defects in dynamic strength and wear resistance while incorporating a sheet-type coated cork in a shoe sole or an insole. The present disclosure also relates to a product in which a main-body-coupling opening, which is an empty space, is artificially formed between crushed cork pieces of a sheet-type coated cork, and to a method of manufacturing the same. A sole-type body member, which is a main body of a shoe sole or an insole, is laminated on the sheet-type coated cork, and is then pressed and heated so that a part of the sole-type body member is inserted into the main-body-coupling opening, thereby achieving coupling therebetween.