Article of footwear with soil-shedding performance
First Claim
1. An outsole for an article of footwear, the outsole comprising:
- an outsole backing member;
a film secured to the outsole backing member and defining an external surface of the outsole, wherein the film has a dry-state film thickness ranging from 0.1 millimeters to 5 millimeters, wherein the film comprises a crosslinked polymeric network, wherein the crosslinked polymeric network comprises crystalline regions and amorphous hydrophilic regions, wherein the crystalline regions are covalently bonded to the amorphous hydrophilic regions, and wherein the amorphous hydrophilic regions are present in the crosslinked polymeric network at a ratio of at least 20;
1 by weight relative to the crystalline regions;
and a plurality of traction elements on the outsole backing member.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The disclosure relates to articles of footwear and components thereof, including outsoles, which can be used in conditions normally conducive to the accumulation of soil on the outsoles. In particular, the disclosure relates to articles of footwear and components thereof including an outsole with an external hydrogel film that compositionally includes a crosslinked polymeric network having a plurality of copolymer chains with one or more hard segments physically crosslinked to other hard segments of the copolymer chains, and one or more hydrophilic soft segments covalently bonded to the hard segments. The outsoles can prevent or reduce the accumulation of soil on the footwear during wear on unpaved surfaces such as sporting fields. When the outsoles are wetted with water, the outsoles can become more compliant and/or can rapidly uptake and/or expel water, which can prevent soil from adhering to the outsole and/or can assist in shedding soil present on the outsole.
126 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An outsole for an article of footwear, the outsole comprising:
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an outsole backing member; a film secured to the outsole backing member and defining an external surface of the outsole, wherein the film has a dry-state film thickness ranging from 0.1 millimeters to 5 millimeters, wherein the film comprises a crosslinked polymeric network, wherein the crosslinked polymeric network comprises crystalline regions and amorphous hydrophilic regions, wherein the crystalline regions are covalently bonded to the amorphous hydrophilic regions, and wherein the amorphous hydrophilic regions are present in the crosslinked polymeric network at a ratio of at least 20;
1 by weight relative to the crystalline regions;and a plurality of traction elements on the outsole backing member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An article of footwear comprising:
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an outsole substrate; a plurality of traction elements operably secured to the outsole substrate; an upper secured to the outsole substrate; and
,a film secured to the outsole substrate and defining an external surface of the outsole, wherein the film comprises a crosslinked polymeric network, wherein the crosslinked polymeric network comprises crystalline regions and amorphous hydrophilic regions, wherein the crystalline regions are covalently bonded to the amorphous hydrophilic regions, and wherein the amorphous hydrophilic regions are present in the crosslinked polymeric network at a ratio of at least 20;
1 by weight relative to the crystalline regions. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification