Tunable Footwear Midsole Using Anisotropic Yarn Foam
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional footwear midsoles often require multiple components for customized cushioning, stability, and energy dissipation, leading to inefficiencies in manufacturing, material waste, and increased energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A method of manufacturing a midsole using anisotropic foam created by intertwining yarns with different properties, applying supercritical fluids, and molding to form a pre-oriented structure that provides customized cushioning, stability, and energy dissipation without multiple components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple components are used in conventional midsoles to provide customized cushioning, stability, and energy dissipation, then performance requirements are met, but manufacturing efficiency decreases and material waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate midsole components (cushioning layer, stability layer, energy dissipation layer) into a single integrated midsole structure. Different regions of the same midsole are formed with different material properties through selective application of materials during injection molding, eliminating the need for multiple separate components and their associated assembly steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating regions with different material properties within the same midsole component. Through selective injection molding techniques, specific areas of the midsole are formed with different hardness, density, or elasticity characteristics to provide customized cushioning, stability, and energy dissipation functions in different zones without requiring separate components.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple components are used in conventional midsoles, then customized performance is achieved, but the number of manufacturing steps increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple manufacturing operations into a single injection molding cycle. Different materials or material formulations are selectively injected into different regions of the mold cavity in sequence, allowing multiple functional zones to be created in one continuous process rather than requiring separate manufacturing and assembly steps for each component.
Solution Approach 2:
The single midsole component serves multiple functions simultaneously - cushioning, stability, and energy dissipation - all integrated into one piece. This universal design allows the midsole to perform multiple roles that traditionally required separate specialized components, simplifying the overall manufacturing process while maintaining customized performance capabilities.
3Reliability
If multiple components are used in conventional midsoles, then functional requirements are satisfied, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple components into a single integrated structure that is manufactured in one injection molding process. This eliminates the energy required for separate manufacturing cycles, individual assembly operations, and associated handling for multiple separate parts, thereby reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining all necessary functional performances.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple components are used in conventional midsoles, then customized features are provided, but material waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple functional zones into a single molded component, eliminating the need for separate components that would require individual manufacturing and assembly. This reduces material waste associated with trimming, joining, and handling multiple separate parts, while still providing customized features through selective material application within the unified structure.
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 anisotropic foam midsole offers tunable properties, reducing material waste and energy consumption while enhancing performance by providing localized features like cushioning, stability, and energy dissipation.
Implementation Method 1
depositing the twisted yarn structure into a first mold within an autoclave and applying a supercritical fluid to the twisted yarn structure. The method further includes the steps of supercritical fluid infiltrating and saturating the twisted yarn structure, depressurizing the autoclave to cause a foaming process therein to convert the twisted yarn structure into an anisotropic foam blank
Implementation Method 2
depressurizing the autoclave to cause a foaming process therein to convert the twisted yarn structure into an anisotropic foam blank
Data Source
AI summary
A method of making a midsole includes selecting a plurality of yarns. At least two yarns of the plurality of yarns have different properties relative to one another. The method further includes bundling the plurality of yarns to form a bundled yarn structure and intertwining the bundled yarn structure to form a twisted yarn structure. Further, the method includes depositing the twisted yarn structure into a first mold within an autoclave and applying a supercritical fluid to the twisted yarn structure. The method further includes supercritical fluid infiltrating and saturating the twisted yarn structure, depressurizing the autoclave to cause a foaming process therein to convert the twisted yarn structure into an anisotropic foam blank, and depositing the anisotropic foam blank within a second mold that is configured as a midsole for an article of footwear.