Textile Footwear Sole with Recessed Insole Coupling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Footwear made with textile fiber soles, such as jute, face issues with comfort and flexibility due to solidly joined insoles that cause chafing and peripheral sewing breakdown over time, and the difficulty in creating recessed areas with natural materials in a single piece.

Innovation Solution

A moulding method that forms a sole with a recessed area and peripheral partition using a male-female coupling, allowing for a flexible connection between the insole and sole without solid joining, using a mould to shape the sole from textile fibers like jute, eliminating the need for peripheral sewing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the insole is solidly joined to the sole using adhesive and peripheral sewing, then the connection strength is improved, but the flexibility and comfort are worsened due to chafing and sewing breakdown

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection strengthVSAvoidflexibility and comfort
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The sole is divided into two functional parts: a peripheral partition structure and a recessed area. The peripheral partition provides structural support and connection strength, while the recessed area accommodates the insole with a male-female coupling system that allows flexibility without requiring peripheral sewing around the entire contour.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The harmful peripheral sewing around the entire contour is extracted and replaced by a localized male-female coupling system. This eliminates the chafing and sewing breakdown issues while maintaining connection strength through the coupling mechanism between the peripheral partition and insole.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of operation

If a recessed area with peripheral partition is created in the sole, then the comfort and flexibility are improved, but the manufacturing complexity of natural material soles is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomfort and flexibilityVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The mould is pre-configured with the recessed area and peripheral partition structures before the sole manufacturing process begins. This allows the complex geometry to be formed in a single moulding operation, eliminating the need for subsequent assembly steps and making the complex structure feasible for natural material soles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A mould is introduced as an intermediary tool that enables the formation of the complex recessed area and peripheral partition structures in natural material soles. The mould acts as a mediator that translates the desired final geometry into a manufacturable process, solving the manufacturing complexity issue.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If peripheral sewing is used to reinforce the insole-sole joining, then the reliability is improved, but harmful chafing and wounds are generated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvejoining reliabilityVSAvoidchafing and wounds
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The harmful peripheral sewing is extracted and replaced by a male-female coupling system integrated into the sole structure. This coupling system provides reliable joining through mechanical interlocking without the need for peripheral sewing, thereby eliminating chafing and wound generation while maintaining joining reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The male-female coupling system acts as an intermediary mechanism between the insole and sole, providing reliable mechanical connection without direct peripheral sewing contact with the foot. This mediator eliminates the harmful chafing effect while maintaining joining reliability through the coupling mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3479718B1footwear
Publication Date: 2021.06.30 POLO GUILLEN MANUEL
  • EP3479718B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3479718B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3479718B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to footwear comprising a sole (1) of textile fibre, an upper (2) joined to the sole (1) and an insole (3) positioned in correspondence with an upper face of the sole (1). The upper face of the sole (1) includes a recessed area (4) delimited by a peripheral partition (5) forming part of the sole (1), the insole (3) fitting inside the recessed area (4). Based on this premise, the purpose of the invention is to increase the comfort of the user when he or she uses the footwear. For this purpose, the structure for coupling the insole to the sole is a male-female coupling that keeps both elements connected without being a solid join.