Spiked Plate Press for Breathable Leather
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Solution Overview
Problem
Natural leather products, such as shoes and clothing, lack breathability, making them uncomfortable for long use, and existing solutions that increase breathability, like perforation, compromise the aesthetic appeal by making holes visible on the surface.
Innovation Solution
A spiked plate with conical spikes is used to create blind holes on the inner side of full-grain natural leather, maintaining the outer surface's continuity and aesthetic integrity while enhancing breathability by controlling spike dimensions and spacing, and using a plate press machine to pierce the leather at specific pressures and temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mechanical drilling is used to create through holes in natural leather from the external side, then breathability is improved, but aesthetic appearance deteriorates due to visible holes on the surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inversion by creating blind holes from the internal side (flesh split) of the leather instead of drilling through holes from the external side. This reverses the conventional approach, allowing breathability to be improved while keeping the external surface intact and aesthetically pleasing. The conical spikes penetrate from the internal side and stop before reaching the external surface, creating hidden ventilation channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating blind holes only in specific regions where breathability is needed, while maintaining the integrity and continuity of the external surface. The conical spikes are arranged in patterns that provide localized ventilation without affecting the overall aesthetic appearance of the leather product.
2Shape
If blind holes are created on the outer side of natural leather, then aesthetic appearance is maintained, but breathability is insufficient because holes are not visible but also not effective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates blind holes from the internal side rather than the external side, inverting the conventional approach. This allows the holes to be hidden while still being effective for breathability, as they originate from the internal side where they can properly channel air flow without compromising the external aesthetic surface.
3Reliability
If the base diameter of conical spikes is increased to improve breathability, then more air flow is achieved, but the leather structure is compromised and aesthetic appearance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the base diameter of conical spikes to fall within a specific range (33% to 100% of leather thickness). This parameter optimization ensures that the spikes are large enough to create effective ventilation channels for breathability, while simultaneously being small enough to maintain the structural integrity and aesthetic appearance of the leather.
Solution Approach 2:
The conical spike design creates localized changes in the leather structure only where needed for breathability. The spikes are distributed in patterns that provide adequate ventilation while minimizing impact on the overall leather strength and external appearance.
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
The method allows for high breathability of natural leather without altering its appearance, providing comfort and customizable design options while maintaining the leather's elegant look.
Implementation Method 1
a spiked plate (100), having an operating surface provided with a plurality of conical spikes (200), configured to penetrate an inner side of a full grain natural leather (102)
Implementation Method 2
with a pressure ranging from 15 to 60 atmospheres
Implementation Method 3
the spiked plate is at a temperature ranging from 30° C. to 110° C.
Data Source
AI summary
Spiked plate (100) having an operating surface provided with a plurality of conical spikes (200), configured to penetrate into an inner side of a full grain natural leather having a thickness t and make blind holes in said inner side of the full grain natural leather, wherein:—a base diameter d of the conical spikes (200) ranges from 33% to 100% of the thickness t, whereby 0.33−t≤d≤t,—a height h of the conical spikes (200) ranges from 70% to 110% of the thickness t, whereby 0.7−t≤h≤t, and—a minimum distance D between the conical spikes (200) on the operating surface of the spiked plate (100) ranges from 200% to 430% of the thickness t, whereby 2−t≤D≤4.3·t.