Unitary Footwear Sole Plate Across a Cushioning Gap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional footwear often lacks improved cushioning systems and structural characteristics, such as sole plates, that enhance comfort and fit, while maintaining stability and rigidity.
Innovation Solution
The article of footwear incorporates a sole structure with a unitary plate extending from the forefoot to the heel region, coupled to cushioning members, and includes a gap between them, featuring a planar and curved portions, and an outsole for enhanced stability and cushioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional sole structure is used, then the footwear is simple in construction, but it lacks improved cushioning systems and structural characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The sole structure is divided into multiple functional segments: a first cushioning member in the heel region, a second cushioning member in the forefoot region, and a unitary plate extending between them. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function (cushioning, structural support) independently while working together as an integrated system, resolving the contradiction between complexity and functional performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The sole structure combines different materials with complementary properties: cushioning members made from compliant materials (foam, rubber, or elastomer) for shock absorption, and a unitary plate made from rigid materials (thermoplastic polymer, carbon fiber, or metal) for structural support. This composite approach enables simultaneous achievement of cushioning performance and structural rigidity that would be difficult to obtain with a single material.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a unitary plate is added to the sole structure, then rigidity and stability are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The unitary plate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural rigidity, acts as a structural characteristic element, and extends continuously from the forefoot to the heel region providing consistent support across the entire sole. By making the plate multi-functional, the design achieves enhanced stability without proportionally increasing complexity, as one component performs multiple roles.
3Ease of operation
If cushioning members are positioned in specific regions, then comfort and fit are improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Different cushioning members are positioned at specific locations where they are most needed: the first cushioning member in the heel region and the second cushioning member in the forefoot region. This local quality approach places cushioning material strategically based on the functional requirements of each zone, improving comfort without requiring uniform precision across the entire sole structure.
Data Source
AI summary
An article of footwear defines a lateral side, a medial side, a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region. The article of footwear includes an upper, a first cushioning member directly coupled to the upper in the heel region, a second cushioning member directly coupled to the upper in the forefoot region, and a plate. The plate is configured as a unitary plate that extends continuously from the forefoot region to the heel region. The plate is directly coupled to each of the upper, the first cushioning member, and the second cushioning member. The plate extends through a gap that is defined between the first cushioning member and the second cushioning member.