Thermoformable Insert with Pneumatic Bladder for Custom Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for customizing sport and medical items, such as ski boots, are cumbersome, lack control over material distribution, and cannot easily adapt to changes in user morphology, leading to inefficiencies in comfort and performance.
Innovation Solution
An insert with a variable volume element connected to thermoformable material, allowing precise customization by varying its volume, which includes a pair of walls forming an airtight housing with contact points, enabling accurate adaptation to both the user's morphology and the outer shell.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional thermoformable inserts are heated and pressed to fit the user's morphology, then customization accuracy is improved, but device complexity and operational difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies pneumatic principles by using an inflatable bladder connected to a pump system. The bladder is inflated with air or gas to exert uniform pressure on the thermoformable material from the inside, eliminating the need for complex external pressing devices. This pneumatic approach simplifies the customization process while maintaining high precision in fitting the user's morphology.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows the user to perform the customization themselves by operating a simple pump mechanism. The user inflates the bladder through the pump, which automatically applies the necessary pressure to shape the thermoformable material to their body contours. This self-service approach eliminates the need for professional equipment or operators, reducing device complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If thermoformable material is injected into the cavity between inner shoe and outer shell, then customization is achieved, but control over material distribution is lost
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of injecting material, the patent uses a pneumatic bladder that inflates with gas or air. This provides controlled, uniform pressure distribution across the thermoformable material without the unpredictability of material injection. The pneumatic system allows precise control over pressure levels and distribution, ensuring even material deformation while maintaining ease of operation through a simple inflation process.
3Adaptability or versatility
If standard mass-produced items are used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but adaptability to individual user morphology deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the customization process into a separate, removable insert component that can be independently manufactured and then fitted to standard mass-produced footwear. The thermoformable material and inflatable bladder are contained within this modular insert, which can be produced separately using simple processes and then integrated into off-the-shelf shoes. This maintains ease of manufacture for the base product while adding adaptability through the customizable insert.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a dynamic element through the inflatable bladder, which can be adjusted in volume to achieve the desired fit. The bladder can be inflated or deflated as needed, allowing the same insert to adapt to different user morphologies or even changes in the user's body over time. This dynamic adjustment capability provides high adaptability without requiring complex manufacturing for each individual case.
4Manufacturing precision
If complex pressing devices are used to apply pressure during thermoforming, then customization precision is improved, but ease of operation and time efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The pneumatic bladder system provides automatic, uniform pressure distribution throughout the thermoformable material during inflation. This eliminates the need for complex mechanical pressing devices that require manual adjustment and multiple pressure points. The pneumatic system achieves precise customization in a single, continuous inflation process, significantly reducing the time required while maintaining or improving precision compared to traditional methods.
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 solution provides precise, accurate, and controllable customization of sport or medical items, improving comfort and performance by eliminating gaps between the inner shoe and outer shell, and allowing for easy modification over time as user morphology changes.
Implementation Method 1
the thermoformable insert is heated up above its thermoforming temperature, and then a pressure is applied from the outside to said insert so that it perfectly fits the morphology of the foot of the user
Implementation Method 2
a variable volume element (5) connected to said layer of thermoformable material (3)
Data Source
Figure 1~1A
Figure 2~2A
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
The present invention relates to an insert (1) for the customization of a sport or medical item, of the type comprising a substantially soft inner element that in use is oriented towards the user's body, and to a method for the customization of a sport or medical item of the above-mentioned kind by using said insert (1). According to the invention, said insert (1) comprises at least one layer of thermoformable material (3) and a variable volume element (5) connected to said layer of thermoformable material. In the case of sport or medical items which, in addition to said substantially soft inner element, also include a substantially rigid outer element, the insert according to the invention preferably comprises two layers of thermoformable material (3, 9) and a variable volume element (5) interposed between said layers of thermoformable material.