KR20150122207A - Article of footwear with forefoot plates - Google Patents

Abstract

Footwear (10) An article includes a sole assembly (14) secured to an upper (12) and upper (12). The sole assembly 14 includes a lower plate 36 and an upper plate 34 at the forefoot portion of the sole assembly 14 and a plurality of lower plate arms that are curved downwardly from the upper plate 34.

Description

[0001] ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR WITH FOREFOOT PLATES [0002]

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent No. 8,151,485, filed on April 10, 2012, U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 413,800, filed March 7, 2012, 13 / 834,159, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The present invention relates generally to footwear articles, in particular to footwear articles with foreplay plates.

Conventional sports footwear articles include two main elements, an upper and a sole structure. The upper provides a cover for the foot that comfortably seats and positively positions the foot against the sole structure. Additionally, the upper has a configuration that protects the foot and provides ventilation, thereby cooling the foot and removing sweat. The sole structure is fixed to the lower part of the upper, and is generally located between the foot and the ground contact surface. In addition to attenuating ground reaction forces, the sole structure may provide, for example, traction and control movement of the foot (e.g., by resistance to excessive pronation) and impart stability. Thus, the upper and sole structures work cooperatively to provide a comfortable structure, suitable for a wide range of activities, such as walking and running.

The sole structure generally includes a plurality of layers conventionally referred to as insole, midsole, and bottom window. An insole is a thin, compressible member that is positioned within the upper and adjacent to the flat (i.e., lower) surface of the foot to enhance the comfort of the footwear. Conventionally, the midsole fixed to the upper along the length of the upper part forms the middle layer of the sole structure and mainly serves to attenuate the ground reaction force. The floor window is made of a durable, wear-resistant material, including texturing that forms the ground contacting element of the footwear and generally improves traction.

Conventional midsole is formed primarily of a polymeric foam material, such as polyurethane or ethyl vinyl acetate, which extends throughout the length of the footwear. The properties of the polymer foam material in the midsole mainly depend on factors including the specific characteristics of the material selected for the polymer foam including the density of the polymer foam material and the dimensional form of the midsole. By varying these factors throughout the midsole, the degree of relative stiffness or floor reaction attenuation may be varied to meet the particular needs of the activity for which the footwear is intended to be used. In addition to the polymeric foam material, a conventional midsole may include, for example, one or more fluid-filled bladders and modulators.

It would be desirable to provide footwear articles that reduce or overcome some or all of the difficulties inherent in prior art known devices. Certain objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that is, to those skilled in the art, in light of the following detailed description of the present disclosure and certain specific embodiments of the invention.

The principles of the present invention may be used to advantage in providing an article of footwear having a forehead plate. According to a first aspect, a footwear article includes a sole assembly secured to an upper and an upper. The sole assembly includes a lower plate and an upper plate at the forefoot portion of the sole assembly, and a plurality of lower plate arms bent downwardly from the upper plate.

According to another aspect, the article of footwear comprises an upper assembly secured to the upper and upper. The sole assembly includes an upper plate and a plurality of lower plate arms bent downwardly from the outer side of the anterior portion of the upper plate and a plurality of lower plate arms bent downwardly and outwardly from the inner side of the anterior portion of the upper plate. do.

According to another aspect, the article of footwear comprises a top which is secured to the upper and a lower surface of the upper, and the lower surface of the latter is fixed to the upper surface of the upper plate. The sole assembly includes a lower plate secured to the lower surface of the midsole and integral with the upper plate and the upper plate. The lower plate has a plurality of outer lower plate arms that are curved downwardly from the outer side of the anterior portion of the upper plate and a plurality of inner lower plate arms that are curved downwardly from the inner side of the anterior portion of the upper plate. A plurality of bottom window portions are fixed to the lower surface of the corresponding lower plate arm, respectively.

A substantial advantage is achieved by providing footwear having a forehead plate. In particular, certain embodiments provide spring action in the lower plate arms of pre-curved footwear in a curved state, thereby helping the user to change direction and posture when using footwear, . The lower plate arms are curved to help alleviate the stresses encountered during use of the footwear.

These and further features and advantages disclosed herein will be better understood from the following detailed disclosure of specific embodiments.

1 is an elevational view of an article of footwear having a forehead plate.
Figure 2 is a bottom view of the article of footwear of Figure 1, shown without a floor window.
Fig. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the article of footwear of Fig. 1, taken along line 3-3 of Fig.
Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of a variant of the article of footwear of Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a bottom view of another variant of the article of footwear of Figure 1, shown without a floor window.
6 is a partial cross-sectional view of a modified example of the article of footwear of Fig.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of another variant of the article of footwear of Figure 1;
Figure 8 is a perspective view of yet another variant of the article of footwear of Figure 1;
Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a plate assembly of the footwear article of Figure 7;
Figure 10 is a plan view of a variant of the plate of the footwear article of Figure 7;
It should be understood that the drawings referred to above do not necessarily have to be drawn to scale and provide a depiction of the invention illustrating the principles involved. Some features of the footwear article with the forehead plate shown in the figures are enlarged or distorted relative to other features to facilitate explanation and understanding. The same reference numerals are used in the figures for similar or identical components and features shown in various modifications. Footwear articles having a forehead plate as disclosed herein will have an array shape and components that are determined, in part, by the intended use and environment in which they are to be used.

The following description and the accompanying drawings disclose various embodiments of sole structures for footwear articles. The concept of a sole structure is described with reference to athletic activities, such as footwear having a configuration suitable for basketball sports. However, the sole structure may be applied to a wide range of athletic footwear styles, including for example tennis shoes, football shoes, cross-training shoes, walking shoes, soccer shoes, and hiking boots. The sole structure may also be applied to footwear styles that are generally considered to be non-athletic, including dressing, simplicity, sandals, and work boots. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will recognize that the concepts disclosed herein apply to a wide range of footwear styles, in addition to the particular style discussed in the following materials and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

 Footwear 10 An article is shown in Figures 1 and 2 as comprising an upper 12 and a sole assembly 14. For reference, the footwear 10 may be divided into three general parts, namely the fore part 16, the middle part 18 and the rear part 20, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 . The footwear 10 also includes an outer side 22 and an inner side 24. The proximal portion 16 generally includes portions of the footwear 10 that correspond to joints that connect the toes and metatarsal to the phalanges. The middle portion 18 generally comprises a portion of the foot 10 corresponding to the arch region of the foot and the rear portion 20 corresponds to the rear portion of the foot including the calcaneus bone. The outer side 22 and the inner side 24 extend through each of the portions 16-20 and correspond to opposite sides of the footwear 10. Portions 16-20 and sides 22-24 are not intended to define the exact areas of the footwear 10. Rather, portions 16-20 and sides 22-24 are intended to denote common areas of footwear 10 to aid in the discussion below. In addition to footwear 10, portions 16-20 and sides 22-24 may be applied to upper 12, sole assembly 14, and individual elements thereof.

The figures only show items of footwear intended for use on the right foot of the wearer. Those skilled in the art will recognize that left footwear articles, which are mirror images of the right article, are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention.

Directional terms used herein, such as rearward, forward, inward, downward, upward, and the like, unless otherwise stated or otherwise distinct from the context below, Point. The footwear 10 is shown in FIG. 1 to be positioned substantially horizontally, as positioned on a horizontal plane when the wearer is comfortable. It should be appreciated, however, that the footwear 10 need not be limited to such an orientation. Thus, in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the rear is directed towards the rear portion 20, i. E. Towards the right as shown in Fig. Naturally, the front is directed toward the forefoot portion 16, that is, toward the left as shown in FIG. 1, and the downward toward the bottom of the page as shown in FIG. The inward direction is toward the center of the footwear 10 and the outward direction is toward the outer peripheral edge of the footwear 10. [

The upper 12 forms an inner void that comfortably receives the feet and secures the position of the feet to the sole assembly 14. As shown, the configuration of upper 12 is suitable for use during athletic activities, including running. Thus, the upper 12 may have a lightweight breathable structure, including multiple layers of leather, fabric, polymer, and foam elements that are adhesively bonded and sealed together. For example, the upper 12 may have a shell, including a leather element and a fabric element, to individually resist abrasion and provide breathability. The inner skin of the upper 12 may have a foam element that enhances the comfort of the footwear 10 and the inner surface may include a fabric that absorbs moisture to remove excess moisture from the area immediately surrounding the foot .

The sole assembly 14 may be secured to the upper 12 by adhesive, or any other suitable fastening means. In general, the sole assembly 14 disposed between the wearer ' s foot and the ground can provide attenuation (i.e., buffering) of ground surface reaction force, stopping friction, and control foot motion such as in-wheeling. As in conventional footwear articles, the sole assembly 14 includes an insole (not shown), a midsole 26, and a bottom window 28 disposed within the upper 12. The midsole 26 is attached to the upper 12 and functions as a major impact mitigation and energy absorbing component of the footwear 10. The bottom window 28 is attached to the lower surface of the middle 26 by adhesive or other suitable means. Suitable materials for the bottom window 28 include conventional rubber materials. Other suitable materials for the bottom window 28 will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, given the benefit of this disclosure. The sole assembly 14 may not include a floor window layer separate from the midsole 26 and may instead comprise a bottom window having a bottom window 26 that provides an external static friction surface of the sole assembly 14 And may include a bottom surface.

The upper 12 includes a plurality of material elements (e. G., Fabric, foam, leather, and synthetic leather) that are seamed or adhesively joined together to form an internal cavity for securely and comfortably receiving the feet. And is shown to have a substantially conventional configuration. The material elements can be selected and positioned relative to the upper 12 to selectively impart properties such as durability, air permeability, abrasion resistance, flexibility, and comfort. The material elements form a structure that defines an internal cavity for receiving the foot. The ankle opening 30 of the trunk portion 20 provides access to the inner cavity. In addition, the upper 12 may include a strap 32 utilized in a conventional manner to modify the dimensions of the inner cavity, thereby securing the foot within the inner cavity and facilitating the ingress and egress of the foot into and out of the inner cavity . The strap 32 may extend through the apertures of the upper 12 and the tongue portion of the upper 12 may extend between the inner cavity and the strap 32. Considering that the various aspects of the present application are primarily related to the sole assembly 14, the upper 12 may exhibit the general shape described above, or indeed any other conventional or unconventional top shape. Thus, the structure of the upper 12 may vary considerably within the scope of the present invention.

The sole assembly 14 includes an upper plate 34 secured to the lower surface of the midsole 26. The lower plate 36 includes a plurality of lower plate arms 38 that are curved downwardly from the upper plate 34. In the illustrated embodiment, the lower plate arms 38 are curved downwardly and outwardly from the top plate 34 to be substantially curved with respect to the top plate 34.

Each lower plate arm 38 is spaced from the adjacent lower plate arm 38 by a slot 40 formed in the lower plate 36. The lower plate 36 is shown in Fig. 2 with the bottom window 28 not shown for clarity.

In a particular embodiment, the lower plate 36 includes a first outer lower plate arm 38A that is located in a forward portion of the anterior portion 16 of the sole assembly 14. The second outer lower plate arm 38B is located in the central portion of the forefoot portion 16 of the sole assembly 14. The third outer lower plate arm 38C is located at the rear portion of the forefoot portion 16 of the sole assembly 14.

Similarly, the lower plate 36 includes a first inner lower plate arm 38D that is located in the front portion of the anterior portion 16 of the sole assembly 14. The second inner lower plate arm 38E is located in the central portion of the forefoot portion 16 of the sole assembly 14. And the third inner lower plate arm 38F is located at the rear portion of the forefoot portion 16 of the sole assembly 14. [

In a particular embodiment, the lower plate 36 and the upper plate 34 are monolithic, i.e., a single component configuration. The top plate 34 and the bottom plate 36 members may be made of glass filled nylon, carbon-filled material, polyamide such as aramid produced by Dupont, and polyparas such as Kevlar (R) produced by Dupont Phenylene terephthalamide, polyether block copolyamide (sold as Pebax® by ATOFINA Chemicals of Philadelphia, Pa.), Polyether block copolyamide and other materials (glass filled nylon, carbon filled material, poly Amide, or poly-para-phenylene terephthalamide), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), or other materials. Such materials are advantageous to be cut resistant and provide good dimensional stability to the sole assembly 14.

The bottom window 28 may be formed of a plurality of bottom window portions 28A that are respectively secured to the lower surfaces of the corresponding lower plate arms 36A-F, as shown in Fig.

In the illustrated embodiment, the rear portion 20 of the sole assembly 14 includes a pivoting element 33 that includes an upper support 35 that is coupled to the lower support 37 by a coupling 39 . The coupling 39 allows the upper support 35 to pivot relative to the lower support 37. It should be appreciated that the truncated portion 20 may have a more conventional form in other embodiments.

Another embodiment of the footwear 10 is shown in Figure 4 wherein a first outer insert 42 is disposed between the top plate 34 and the first, second, and third outer lower plate arms 38A, 38B, 38C. Similarly, a second inner insert 44 is provided between the top plate 34 and the first, second, and third inner bottom plate arms 38D, 38E, 38F. The outer insert 42 and the inner insert 44 may be formed from, for example, an air pocket, an elastomer, or a foam material and serve to provide additional support and buffering to the sole assembly 14. [

Another embodiment of the footwear 10 is shown in Figure 5 wherein the top plate 34 includes a first front portion 34A that is located at the front portion of the front portion 16 of the sole assembly 14, A second central portion 34B slightly spaced rearwardly from the central portion 34A and positioned at a central portion of the fore part 16 of the sole assembly 14 and a second central portion 34B slightly spaced rearwardly from the central portion 34B, And a third rear portion 34C that is located at the rear portion of the front portion 16 of the front end portion 14 of the first housing. The outer lower plate arms 38A, 38B and 38C extend from the front portion 34A, the central portion 34B and the rear portion 34C of the top plate 34, respectively. The inner lower plate arms 38D, 38E and 38F extend from the front portion 34A, the central portion 34B and the rear portion 34C of the upper plate 34, respectively. In such an embodiment, the forefoot portion 16 of the footwear 10, having an upper plate 34 formed of three distinct distinct portions, with accompanying lower plate arms, is easier to bend and warp So that the comfort and flexibility of the footwear 10 can be improved.

In a particular embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the top plate 34 and the bottom plate arms 38A-E are monolithic configurations. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the upper plate and lower plate arms 38A-E may be separate elements that are secured to one another using an adhesive or other suitable fastening means.

Another embodiment is shown in Fig. In this embodiment, the top plate 34 includes a plurality of top plate arms 46 and the bottom plate 36 includes a plurality of bottom plate arms 48. In this embodiment, the lower plate arms 48 are curved outwardly and downwardly from the upper plate 34 such that the lower plate arms 48 are substantially convex to the upper plate 34. The upper plate arms 46 and the lower plate arms 48 are either staggered or biased against each other such that no upper plate arm 46 is positioned over the lower plate arms 48 and vice versa. do.

In the illustrated embodiment, the midsole 26 includes a first portion 26A that is positioned over the top plate 34 and a second portion 26B that is located below the bottom plate arm 48. In this embodiment, it can be seen that the second portion 26B is cut between adjacent lower plate arms 48. In addition, in this embodiment, the upper plate arms 46 and the lower plate arms 48 extend along substantially the entire length of the sole assembly 14. It should be appreciated that the upper plate arms 46 and lower plate arms 48 may be located at any point along the sole assembly 14. [

It should be appreciated that the upper and lower plate arms may be modified to optimize performance and comfort. Any other aspects of the materials, thickness, degree of curvature, length, or geometry of the arms may be altered to affect the performance of the arms. 7, a first rib 50 extends along the top surface of each bottom plate arm 48 and a second rib 52 extends along each top plate arm 46. In a particular embodiment, As shown in FIG. The first rib 50 may be provided on one or more lower plate arms 48 and the second ribs 52 may be provided on one or more of the upper plate arms 46 ). ≪ / RTI >

It should be appreciated that the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 may be configured such that the top plate 34 is common to both the top plate arms 46 and the bottom plate arms 48, as shown in FIG. In such an embodiment, the top plate 34 may alternatively be referred to as a plate as simplified, and the top plate arms 46 and the bottom plate arms 48 may alternatively be formed separately into the upper and lower arms . As can be seen in Figures 7 and 9, the upper and lower arms 46, 48 are alternately curved upwardly and downwardly from the plate in the form of a butterfly.

An alternative embodiment, similar to the embodiment shown in Fig. 7, except for one, is shown in Fig. 8, the second portion 26B of the midsole 26 is not cut between adjacent lower plate arms 48, but rather is a continuous midsole along the length of the sole assembly 14.

The spring action of the arms of the pre-curved sole assembly 14 in a curved state aids in changing the orientation and posture of the user when using the footwear 10, thereby improving propulsion for the user. The curvature of the arms helps to alleviate the stresses encountered during use of the footwear 10. The arms of the sole assembly 14 provide independent suspension for running on uneven surfaces and provide a more stable fit for the foot as independent elements that adapt to uneven terrain.

Another embodiment is shown in Figure 10 wherein the upper plate 34 may be referred to as a plate 34 as simplified and the upper plate arms 46 and the lower plate arms 48 may alternatively be referred to as upper arms 34 46 and lower arm 48, respectively. The plate 34 includes a vertebral portion 54 to which the respective upper and lower arms 46 and 48 are connected. The upper arms 46 extend outwardly and upwardly from the vertebrae 54 and the lower arms 48 extend outwardly and downwardly from the vertebrae 54. The upper arms 46 and the lower arms 48 are alternately positioned along the outer side 22 and the inner side 24 of the plate 34 as in the embodiment shown in Fig.

The vertebrae 54 have a longitudinal axis L that is curved when viewed from above. In a particular embodiment, the longitudinal axis L of the vertebrae 54 has a complex curved shape, i.e. the longitudinal axis of the vertebra is curved in a plurality of directions.

In a particular embodiment, at least one upper arm 46 'on the outer side 22 of the plate 34 extends laterally from a corresponding lower arm 48' on the inner side 24 of the plate 34 Respectively. In a particular embodiment, at least one upper arm 46 "on the inner side 24 of the plate 34 extends laterally from a corresponding lower arm 48" on the outer side 22 of the plate 34 Respectively.

It will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, in light of the foregoing disclosure of the invention and the description of various embodiments. Such modifications and variations are intended to be protected by the following claims.

Claims (12)

As footwear articles,
Upper;
A bottom window positioned below the upper; And
Is positioned between the upper and the bottom window, and
A vertebra having a longitudinal axis that is curved when viewed from above;
A plurality of upper arms extending outwardly and upwardly from the spine; And
And a plurality of lower arms extending outwardly and downwardly from the vertebrae,
≪ / RTI > The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the longitudinal axis of the vertebrae has a complex curved shape when viewed from above. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein at least one upper arm on an outer side of the plate is laterally opposed from a corresponding lower arm on an inner side of the plate. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein at least one upper arm on the inner side of the plate is laterally opposed from a corresponding lower arm on the outer side of the plate. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the plate extends substantially along the entire length of the article of footwear. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the upper arms and the lower arms are alternately positioned along the outer side and the inner side of the plate. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the plate is formed of glass-filled nylon. As footwear articles,
Upper;
A bottom window positioned below the upper; And
Is positioned between the upper and the bottom window, and
A vertebra having a longitudinal axis having a composite curve shape when viewed from above;
A plurality of upper arms extending outwardly and upwardly from the spine; And
And a plurality of lower arms extending outwardly and downwardly from the vertebrae,
Lt; / RTI >
Wherein the upper arms and the lower arms are alternately positioned along the outer side and the inner side of the plate. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein at least one upper arm on an outer side of the plate is laterally opposed from a corresponding lower arm on an inner side of the plate. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein at least one upper arm on the inner side of the plate is laterally opposed from a corresponding lower arm on the outer side of the plate. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the plate extends substantially along the entire length of the article of footwear. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the plate is formed of glass-filled nylon.

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