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| Tipology: | Utility Model | Nr. | FI2002U000055 |
| Date of approvation: | 17/05/2002 | Brief descr. | A.D.S. |
Project's synopsis
Walking is an important aspect of everyday life. Shoes manufacturers have launched several products allowing the customers to absorb ground roughness or to improve the feet transpiration. As far as the first point is concerned, main multinational companies are addressing several R&D efforts to develop new solutions.
The proposed solution is based on the know-how developed in space in the field of magneto-rheological fluids applied in the damping of structures.
Magneto-rheological fluids are suspensions consisting of ferromagnetic particles of size 0.1-100 m and dielectric base fluid. Since the dielectric constant of suspensions particles differs from the dielectric constant of the base fluid, external magnetic field polarizes particles.
Project's characteristics
A sole for shoes endowed with shock absorbers against the stress produced in the feet during the walking process and containing within itself at least a fluid cushion embedded in a chamber (2 - Fig.1) made of flexible and pliable material located in the rear part of the sole; this is also equipped with regulating means sensitive to the stimuli produced by the fluid. The latter is a suspension of magnetizable particles trapped in a vector fluid designed to run through a duct of non-iron magnetic material connecting such chamber (2 - Fig.1) with an auxiliary cavity (3 - Fig.1) for this fluid.
The above-said regulating means are represented by a magnetic field generator (6 - Fig.1) within which the duct is situated (4 - Fig.1) and other means able to vary the magnetic fluid’s density in correspondence with the duct.
In such a way the degree of the particles’ magnetization can be varied and consequently also the resistance of the fluid in the duct. As a result, an adjustment of the degree of dumping in response to the stimuli produced by the fluid cushion is obtained.
