Integrated Shoe Upper with Wing Merging Areas
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional athletic shoes face challenges in providing a lightweight, comfortable, and stable shoe upper that minimizes weight-related fatigue and discomfort, often requiring additional components like Strobel arrangements and sockliners, which can cause irritation and increase weight.
Innovation Solution
A shoe upper design featuring first and second upper elements joined by wings with merging areas, eliminating the need for a Strobel arrangement and sockliner, providing a tighter fit, reduced weight, and enhanced stability through a simplified manufacturing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a conventional Strobel arrangement with multiple components is used, then the shoe upper provides structural support and stability, but the weight of the shoe upper increases and additional components (sockliner) are required to prevent irritation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the upper and footbed into a single integrated shoe upper component, eliminating the need for separate Strobel and sockliner components. This merging reduces the total number of parts and overall weight while maintaining structural support through the integrated design with recesses and protrusions that provide necessary stability.
2Strength
If a conventional Strobel arrangement with seams is used, then the shoe upper provides structural integrity, but the seams cause irritation and discomfort to the wearer's foot
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the problematic seam and sockliner components from the conventional Strobel arrangement. By integrating the upper and footbed into one piece, the harmful seam that causes foot irritation is removed, while structural integrity is maintained through the integrated construction with recesses and protrusions.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If additional components like sockliner are added to the shoe upper, then comfort and protection from seam irritation are improved, but the weight and complexity of the construction increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the protective function previously requiring a separate sockliner into the integrated shoe upper design. The single-piece construction eliminates the need for additional protective components while maintaining comfort through the seamless integrated design, thereby reducing complexity.
4Weight of moving object
If a moccasin construction is used, then the shoe upper is lightweight and simple, but it does not provide sufficient tightness and stability for athletic activities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating specific geometric features (recesses and protrusions) in strategic locations of the integrated shoe upper. These localized structural elements provide enhanced stability and tightness for athletic activities while maintaining the overall lightweight benefit of the integrated construction, resolving the contradiction between lightness and stability.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
The present invention relates to a shoe upper which comprises first and second upper elements that are joined to form a foot-receiving chamber for accommodating a foot of a wearer, wherein the second upper element forms a footbed and wherein the second upper element comprises at least a first set of wings protruding from the lateral and medial sides of the second upper element, wherein the first set of wings comprise a first merging area configured to attach the first upper element to the second upper element.