Patent Publication Number: US-2020297068-A1

Title: Layers with cells in footwear

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Various footwear can be worn on the feet of users. Footwear can be used for various purposes, including walking, jogging, playing sports, and so forth. Users desire that footwear be comfortable and provide adequate support when the users are engaged in various activities. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Some implementations of the present disclosure are described with respect to the following figures. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a portion of a footwear according to some examples. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of a solid support having a lattice shape, according to further examples. 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view of a sole layer of a footwear, according to some examples. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective bottom view of a sole layer of a footwear, according to some examples. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective exploded view of various layers of a sole of a footwear, according to some examples. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective assembled view of various layers of a sole of a footwear, according to some examples. 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom perspective view of an assembly including various layers of a sole, along with an injection element to inject a material into a cell of a sole layer, according to some examples. 
         FIG. 8  is a flow diagram of a footwear customizing process according to some examples. 
         FIG. 9  is a flow diagram of forming a sole of a footwear, according to further examples. 
     
    
    
     Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and the size of some parts may be exaggerated to more clearly illustrate the example shown. Moreover, the drawings provide examples and/or implementations consistent with the description; however, the description is not limited to the examples and/or implementations provided in the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the present disclosure, use of the term “a,” “an”, or “the” is intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Also, the term “includes,” “including,” “comprises,” “comprising,” “have,” or “having” when used in this disclosure specifies the presence of the stated elements, but do not preclude the presence or addition of other elements. 
     Examples of footwear include shoes, sandals, boots, socks, or any other article that is to be worn on a foot (or feet) of a user. The sole of a footwear is designed to support a foot of a user. The sole can refer generally to a footwear&#39;s underlying structure on which the user&#39;s foot is placed and which provides support for the user&#39;s foot. Feet of different users can have different shapes and other characteristics. Thus, footwear that may satisfactorily support the feet of one user may not adequately support the feet of another user. Moreover, footwear can be used in different activities, including walking, jogging, playing sports, standing, and so forth, which can be associated with different support and user comfort issues. Inadequate support for a user&#39;s feet can result in discomfort or pain to the user, and in some cases can lead to damage to the user&#39;s feet. 
     After a user purchases a footwear and finds that it does not provide adequate support or comfort (either because the footwear does not conform properly to the shape of the user&#39;s feet or the footwear does not provide adequate support for the user&#39;s intended activity), the user may either return the footwear to the retailer (which results in added cost to the retailer), or the user may purchase additional inserts to place in the footwear to add support or improve comfort (which results in added cost to the user). 
     In accordance with some implementations of the present disclosure, solutions are provided to allow footwear to be individually customized for respective users. In some examples, a footwear can include cells that can be customized on demand. As used here, a “cell” can refer to a containing structure, such as a pouch, pocket, or any other receptacle in which is provided an inner cavity. The cells are provided as part of a layer of a sole of a footwear. 
     The sole can be formed of multiple layers (referred to as “sole layers”), where one sole layer of the multiple sole layers can include cells according to some implementations of the present disclosure. In other examples, more than one sole layer can include cells according to some implementations. 
     Cells in a sole layer can be injected with respective materials to customize a footwear for a user. Different cells in a sole layer can be injected with a same type of material, or with different types of materials. Different types of materials can be injected into the cells of the sole layer to achieve different dynamic behaviors of the sole layer, such as different dynamic performance of the elastomer material (or other material) that is used to form the sole (or a portion of the sole). The selection of a material to inject into each cell of a sole layer can depend on any one or some combination of the following factors: the shape of a user&#39;s foot, the size of the user&#39;s foot, the characteristic of an arch of the user&#39;s foot (e.g., high arch or low arch), the target use of the footwear (e.g., walking, jogging, running, basketball, soccer, football, standing, etc.), or other factors. 
     By selecting different types of materials or different amounts of materials to inject into cells, footwear can be individually customized for a user. In some examples, the customizing can be performed in a retail setting (such as in a footwear store) or in the home or other facility of a user who has purchased the footwear. In other examples, the customizing can be performed by a manufacturer at the manufacturer&#39;s factory. In further examples, the customizing can be performed in another setting or by another entity. 
     Although reference is made to a sole layer having multiple cells in some examples, it is noted that in other examples, a sole layer can include just a single cell into which a material can be injected for customization. 
       FIG. 1  is perspective view of a portion of a sole layer  102  that is part of a footwear, according to some examples. The sole layer has a housing structure  103  which is the main outer structure of the sole layer  102 . 
     The sole layer  102  includes a cell  104 , which has an inner cavity  106 . An inlet  108  is provided to allow for injection of a material into the inner cavity  106  of the cell  104 . 
     The inlet  108  includes a membrane  110  through which an injection element can pass and extend into an inner channel  112  of the inlet  108 . For example, the injection element can include the needle of a syringe, which can penetrate through the membrane  110  to allow for a material in the syringe to be injected into the inner cavity  106  of the cell  104 . When the syringe needle is removed from the inlet  108 , the membrane  110  is self-sealing such that any material that is in the inner cavity  106  of the cell  104  remains in the cell  104  after the syringe needle has been removed. 
     In other examples, instead of using the self-sealing membrane  110 , a different capping layer can be provided to cap an opening of the inlet  108  after a material has been injected into the cell  104 . For example, the capping layer can include a lid that is removable from the inlet  108  to allow a material to be delivered through the inlet  108  into the inner cavity  106 . After delivering the material into the cell  104 , the lid can be re-attached to the inlet. In other examples, other types of capping layers can be used. 
     In accordance with some implementations of the present disclosure, to ensure that the cells in a footwear maintain their shape during shipment and/or other handling of the footwear, a solid support can be provided in each cell.  FIG. 1  shows a solid support  114  that is initially provided in the inner cavity  106  of the cell  104 . The solid support  114  is to provide initial support of the cell  104  after manufacture of the footwear (or the sole layer  102 ), such that the cell  104  can maintain its expanded shape as shown in  FIG. 1 . Without the solid support  114 , the cell  104  may be collapsed when force is applied onto the cell  104 , such as during handling, shipment, or storage, which can make injecting a material into the cell  104  more difficult. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the solid support  114  has a height that is approximately the height (to within ±5%, or ±10%, or ±20% of the height of the inner cavity  106  of the cell  104 . 
     In some examples, the solid support  114  is formed of a dissolvable material, which can be dissolved when a fluid is injected into the inner cavity  106  of the cell  104  through the inlet  108 . Dissolving a solid can refer to a conversion process in which the solid is converted into solutes (dissolved components), to form a solution of the fluid and the solutes. In some examples, the solid support  114  can be formed of a material that includes polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), which is a water-soluble synthetic polymer. The PVA solid support  114  remains as a solid in the absence of a solvent. However, once the solvent is introduced into the inner cavity  106  of the cell  104 , the PVA solid support  114  dissolves. In some examples, the solvent can include water. In other examples, the solvent can include a warm, high-alkaline water based liquid plus a thickening agent, such as polyethylene glycol. 
     The amount of solvent that is injected into the inner cavity  106  of the cell  104  to dissolve the PVA solid support  114  can be a relatively small amount that does not fill the entirety of the inner cavity  106  of the cell  104 . Thus, once the solid support  114  dissolves in the presence of the solvent, the inner cavity  106  of the cell  104  is just partially filled, to allow more material to be injected into the inner cavity  106  of the cell  104  if desired. 
     Other example materials of a solid support  114  can include non-hydrated silica gel crystals, sodium chloride or any other solid material that can be dissolved in the presence of a solvent, such as water or other fluid, or any other type of solvent. 
     More generally, a chemical characteristic of the solid support  114  can be used to determine what solvent would be effective in dissolving the solid support  114 . For example, the chemical characteristic can be the pH of the solid support  114 , where the pH determines what solvent would be effective to dissolve the solid support  114 . 
     After dissolution of the solid support  114 , a selected material can be injected into the inner cavity  106  of the cell  104 . The injected material can include a fluid, such as a liquid or a gas. In other examples, the material injected into the cell  104  can include a foam, a solid (e.g., a wax, a plastic, etc.), or another material. 
     In some examples, different types of materials can include a Newtonian fluid and a non-Newtonian fluid. The viscosity of a Newtonian fluid is independent of the rate of shear of the fluid. Examples Newtonian fluids include water or air. In contrast, the viscosity of a non-Newtonian fluid is dependent on the rate of shear. Most fluids are non-Newtonian fluids. One type of non-Newtonian fluid is a dilatant fluid (or shear thickening fluid), which has a viscosity that increases with the shear strain. Another type of non-Newtonian fluid is a pseudoplatic fluid (or shear thinning fluid), which has a viscosity that decreases with shear strain. 
     In other implementations, instead of dissolving the solid support  114  using a solvent, a mechanical force can be applied to the solid support  114  to break up the solid support  114  into smaller pieces. For example, after a selected material is injected into the inner cavity  106  of the cell  104  to customize support for a user&#39;s foot, a mechanical force is applied to break up the solid support  114 . The mechanical force can be applied by bending the sole of the footwear that includes the sole layer  102 . 
       FIG. 2  is an upper view of the solid support  114  according to some examples. In  FIG. 2 , the solid support  114  has a lattice shape, which includes strips of materials arranged in rows and columns. In other examples, the solid support  114  can have a different shape or arrangement, so long as the solid support  114  is able to provide structural support to maintain the general shape of the cell  104 . 
       FIG. 3  is a bottom view of a sole layer  302  that has multiple cells  304 .  FIG. 4  is a perspective bottom view of the sole layer  302 . In the example of  FIGS. 3 and 4 , five cells are shown as part of the sole layer  302 . In different examples, a different number of cells can be part of the sole layer  302 . Each cell  304  has a respective inlet  306  that allows for a material to be injected into the respective cell  304 . Each cell  304  and inlet  306  can have an arrangement similar to the cell  104  and inlet  108 , respectively, shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     In some examples, the housing structure of the sole layer  302  can be formed of two polyethylene films, which can be sealed together to form the cells  304 . In some examples, the films can be sealed using an ultrasonic sealing process. Ultrasonic sealing involves applying ultrasonic vibration to the polyethylene films to seal the films together. In other examples, other types of films or layers can be employed to form the sole layer  302 . 
     In some examples, the cells  304  are formed using a vacuum process during the ultrasonic sealing. The vacuum process can be used to evacuate chambers inside the sole layer  302 . 
     The multiple cells  304  shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4  can correspond to different parts of a user&#39;s foot, including the heel, arch, outer arch, metatarsal, and toe box, as examples. 
     When customizing a footwear including the sole layer  302  for an individual user, selected materials can be injected into the cells  304 . In some examples, the same type of material can be injected into each of the cells  304 . In other examples, a first type of material can be injected into a first of the cells  304 , while a different second type of material can be injected into a second of the cells  304 . 
     In further examples, materials do not have to be injected into all of the cells  304 . A subset of the cells  304  can be left un-injected with any material, leaving the solid support  114  in each such cell  304 . 
     The customization of a footwear including the sole layer  302  for an individual user can occur in any of various different settings. In a retail store setting, a pressure mat or other type of measuring mechanism can be used to measure the profile of each region of the user&#39;s feet. The pressure mat can measure the pressures applied by different portions of each foot. Based on measured pressures, a determination can be made regarding the support that is to be provided by different portions of the footwear, which can lead to the decision of what material to inject into each cell  304  (or whether to not inject any material into a particular cell  304 ). 
     In other examples, an imaging system can be used to capture a three-dimensional (3D) image of the user&#39;s feet, and based on the 3D image, a decision can be made regarding materials to inject (or not) into respective cells  304 . 
     The decision regarding which cells should be injected with materials, and which materials to use for each cell, can be made by a human, or by a computer, based on empirical data collected from tests conducted on users with feet of varying shapes and who use footwear for different purposes. 
     In other examples, the customization of a footwear using the cells of the sole layer  302  (or the cell  104  of the sole layer  102 ) can occur at the factory of a manufacturer of the footwear, or in the home of a user who purchased the footwear. In examples where the user is to perform the customization, materials for injection into the cells of the sole layer  302  can be shipped to the user with the footwear, along with instructions on how to inject the materials. For example, an injection kit can be provided with the footwear, where the injection kit can include a syringe, or multiple syringes (or other types of injection elements), which can be used to inject the materials into respective cells  304  of the sole layer  302 . 
     If a user expresses dissatisfaction with the support provided by a particular cell (or cells) that has (have) been injected with materials, a retailer or manufacturer can send replacement materials (possibly with another injection kit) to the user, to replace the material(s) previously injected into the cell(s). 
     Replacing a material in a cell  304  can involve withdrawing the material from the cell  304 , and replacing the material with a different material. For example, a syringe can be used to withdraw a material from a cell, and a different syringe can be used to inject a new material into the cell. 
     In accordance with some examples, the sole layer  302  can be manufactured to be part of other layers of the sole of a footwear. In such examples, the sole layer  302  is attached to other layers of a sole of the footwear. For example,  FIG. 5  shows an exploded view of the layers of a sole  500  of a footwear, such as a shoe or other type of footwear. The layers of the sole  500  include an outer sole layer  502 , a midsole layer  504 , and the sole layer  302  with cells  304 . 
     The sole layer  302  with cells  304  can be received in a receptacle  506  of the midsole layer  504 . The sole layer  302  can thus reside within the side wall  510  of the midsole layer  504 . In some examples, the sole layer  302  with cells  304  can reside entirely within the receptacle  506  defined by the side wall  510  of the midsole layer  504 . 
     The sole layer  302  with cells  304  can be affixed to a surface  508  (e.g., the upper surface) of the midsole layer  504 . The affixing of the sole layer  302  to the surface  508  of the midsole layer  504  can be performed by using an adhesive or other type of fastener. The midsole layer  504  is in turn affixed to the outer sole layer  502 , either by an adhesive or a different fastener. Although just a few sole layers are shown as being part of the sole  500  of  FIG. 5 , it is noted that in other examples, a different number of sole layers can be provided as part of the sole  500 . 
     The outer sole layer  502  has openings  512  that align with the inlets  306  ( FIG. 3 ) of the sole layer  302 . As further shown in  FIG. 5 , corresponding openings  514  are formed in the midsole layer  504 , which are aligned with the openings  512  in the outer sole layer  502  as well as with the openings  512  in the outer sole layer  502 . The aligned openings  512  and  514  allow injection elements to pass through the respective openings  512 ,  514 , to inject respective materials through the inlets  306  of respective cells  304  of the sole layer  302 . 
     In some examples, the sole layer  302  is placed on the midsole layer  504  prior to installation of the upper of the footwear, where the upper refers to the upper structure of the footwear that covers the upper part of the foot of the user. The upper can be formed of a fabric, leather, or any other type of material. 
       FIG. 6  is an assembled view that shows the sole  500  with the outer sole layer  502 , midsole layer  504 , and sole layer  302  with cells all attached together in an assembly. 
       FIG. 7  is a bottom perspective view of the sole  500  of  FIG. 6 , which shows openings  702  formed in the bottom surface  704  of the outer sole layer  502 . In the example of  FIG. 7 , an injection element  706  is used to inject a material into a cell of the sole layer  302  through a respective opening  512 . In the example of  FIG. 7 , the injection element  706  is a syringe that has a needle  708  that can penetrate through the membrane of a respective inlet (such as  306  shown in  FIG. 3 ). 
     Although  FIG. 7  shows just one injection element  706 , it is noted that in other examples, multiple injection elements can be used to deliver respective materials to corresponding cells  304  of the sole layer  302 . 
       FIG. 8  is a flow diagram of a process that includes customizing (at  802 ) a sole layer of a footwear for a user. Customizing includes injecting (at  804 ) a material through an inlet into an inner cavity of a cell in the sole layer, to customize support for a foot of a user, where a solid support is positioned in the inner cavity of the cell. The customizing further includes applying (at  806 ) a force on the solid support to break up the solid support inside the inner cavity of the cell. 
       FIG. 9  is a flow diagram of a process of forming a sole for a footwear. The process of  FIG. 9  includes providing (at  902 ) a sole layer of the sole, the sole layer including a cell having an inner cavity to receive a material injected through an inlet, to customize support for a foot of a user. The process of  FIG. 9  further includes arranging (at  904 ) a solid support in the inner cavity of the cell, the solid support to break up inside the inner cavity of the cell in response to an applied force. 
     In the foregoing description, numerous details are set forth to provide an understanding of the subject disclosed herein. However, implementations may be practiced without some of these details. Other implementations may include modifications and variations from the details discussed above. It is intended that the appended claims cover such modifications and variations.