Textured Footwear Upper Bladders With Adhesive-Free Welding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional footwear uppers lack efficient methods for integrating bladders without the use of adhesives, while also failing to incorporate texturing that enhances comfort and fit.
Innovation Solution
The integration of bladders with footwear uppers is achieved through adhesive-free bonding techniques such as melt bonding and welding, and the inclusion of texturing on bladder surfaces that correspond to the fabric material's contours, creating seamless joints and enhancing fit and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If adhesive bonding is used to attach bladders to footwear uppers, then the bonding strength is improved, but the complexity of the manufacturing process increases and environmental sustainability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces adhesive bonding (chemical mechanism) with ultrasonic welding (mechanical/vibrational mechanism) to attach bladders to footwear uppers. The ultrasonic welding process uses high-frequency vibrations to generate friction heat and fuse thermoplastic materials, eliminating the need for adhesives while maintaining bonding strength and simplifying the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transition of thermoplastic materials from solid to melted state through ultrasonic heating, then back to solid upon cooling. This phase change enables the materials to bond together without adhesives, resolving the contradiction between bonding strength and process complexity.
2Strength
If adhesive bonding is used to attach bladders to footwear uppers, then the bonding strength is improved, but environmental sustainability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces adhesive bonding with ultrasonic welding, which uses mechanical vibrations and friction heat instead of chemical adhesives. This substitution eliminates harmful chemical substances from the manufacturing process, improving environmental sustainability while maintaining bonding strength through physical fusion of materials.
3Ease of manufacture
If bladder surface is kept smooth, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but comfort and fit of the footwear deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies texturing patterns to the bladder surface during or before the welding process. The texturing is pre-applied to the bladder or to the upper material, and the ultrasonic welding process fuses the textured surfaces together, creating a seamless integrated structure that provides comfort and fit without complicating manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the texturing feature with the bonding process by using ultrasonic welding to fuse textured bladder surfaces to the upper material. This combination creates a seamless integration where the texturing provides comfort and fit while the welding process maintains manufacturing simplicity by combining multiple functions into one step.
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
This method allows for the creation of footwear uppers with integrated bladders that provide improved comfort and fit by utilizing adhesive-free bonding and texturing, ensuring seamless integration and enhanced performance.
Implementation Method 1
Heat and pressure are applied to: (a) form a scam to engage the first thermoplastic polymer layer with the second thermoplastic polymer layer; and (b) engage at least a portion of the first thermoplastic polymer layer with the first fabric component in an adhesive free manner
Implementation Method 2
The bladders will be engaged with a fabric component of the upper in an adhesive free manner (e.g., by melt bonding, by welding techniques (e.g., RF welding, ultrasonic welding, etc.))
Data Source
AI summary
Footwear upper components include a fabric element and a bladder component that defines a sealed interior chamber. The bladder component includes: (a) a first major surface engaged with the fabric element, wherein this first major surface defines at least part of a first perimeter seam surface and at least part of a first surface of the sealed interior chamber, (b) a second major surface opposite the first major surface, wherein this second major surface defines at least part of a second perimeter seam surface opposite the first perimeter seam surface and at least part of a second surface of the sealed interior chamber opposite the sealed interior chamber's first surface, and (c) and a fluid chamber between the first and second major surfaces. The first major surface (and optionally the second major surface) may include texturing, e.g., texturing corresponding to texture present on a surface of the fabric element.