Expandable support member for an article of footwear
First Claim
1. An expandable support member for an article of footwear, the support member movable between a contracted position and an expanded position, the support member spanning along a first axis and a second axis when in the contracted position, the support member having a thickness measured along a third axis when in the contracted position, the third axis being orthogonal to the first axis and the second axis, the support member comprising:
- a plurality of expansion components;
a plurality of intermediate junctions that join adjacent pairs of the plurality of expansion components;
a plurality of external openings, each of the plurality of external openings extending from a respective one of the plurality of intermediate junctions to an outer periphery of the support member; and
a plurality of internal openings that divide respective ones of the plurality of expansion components into a first strip member and a second strip member that are joined at a first end junction and a second end junction;
wherein, in the contracted position, the plurality of external openings are external slitswherein, in the expanded position, the plurality of external openings are opened to space apart adjacent pairs of the plurality of expansion components proximate the outer periphery of the support memberwherein, in the contracted position, the plurality of internal openings are internal slitswherein, in the expanded position, the plurality of internal openings are opened to space apart the respective first strip member and the respective second strip member;
wherein the plurality of expansion components expand and curve about the third axis when the support member moves between the contracted position and the expanded position,wherein the plurality of internal slits extend between the first end junction and the second end junction of respective expansion components;
wherein the first end junction and the second end junction of the plurality of expansion components partially define the outer periphery of the support member;
wherein the plurality of expansion components are arranged in a row extending along the first axis; and
wherein, in a contracted position, the first end junctions of adjacent ones of the plurality of expansion components are offset along the second axis such that the defined outer periphery is uneven.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An expandable support member for an article of footwear includes a plurality of expansion components that are joined together. The support member can be expandable between a contracted position and an expanded position. The plurality of expansion components are configured to expand along a non-linear path when the support member moves between the contracted position and the expanded position.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An expandable support member for an article of footwear, the support member movable between a contracted position and an expanded position, the support member spanning along a first axis and a second axis when in the contracted position, the support member having a thickness measured along a third axis when in the contracted position, the third axis being orthogonal to the first axis and the second axis, the support member comprising:
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a plurality of expansion components; a plurality of intermediate junctions that join adjacent pairs of the plurality of expansion components; a plurality of external openings, each of the plurality of external openings extending from a respective one of the plurality of intermediate junctions to an outer periphery of the support member; and a plurality of internal openings that divide respective ones of the plurality of expansion components into a first strip member and a second strip member that are joined at a first end junction and a second end junction; wherein, in the contracted position, the plurality of external openings are external slits wherein, in the expanded position, the plurality of external openings are opened to space apart adjacent pairs of the plurality of expansion components proximate the outer periphery of the support member wherein, in the contracted position, the plurality of internal openings are internal slits wherein, in the expanded position, the plurality of internal openings are opened to space apart the respective first strip member and the respective second strip member; wherein the plurality of expansion components expand and curve about the third axis when the support member moves between the contracted position and the expanded position, wherein the plurality of internal slits extend between the first end junction and the second end junction of respective expansion components; wherein the first end junction and the second end junction of the plurality of expansion components partially define the outer periphery of the support member; wherein the plurality of expansion components are arranged in a row extending along the first axis; and wherein, in a contracted position, the first end junctions of adjacent ones of the plurality of expansion components are offset along the second axis such that the defined outer periphery is uneven. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An expandable support member providing support for an upper of an article of footwear, the support member being movable along an expansion direction between an expanded position and a contracted position, the support member defining a transverse direction that is transverse to the expansion direction, the support member comprising:
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a plurality of expansion components that are arranged in a row generally along the expansion direction, the plurality of expansion components each including a first strip member and a second strip member that extend from a first peripheral edge to a second peripheral edge of the expandable support member that is located opposite the first peripheral edge and are;
(i) separated along a portion of a length of the expansion component by an internal opening, and (ii) joined by a first end junction and a second end junction, the plurality of expansion components including at least a first expansion component, a second expansion component, and a third expansion component;a first intermediate junction that joins the second strip member of the first expansion component to the first strip member of the second expansion component; a second intermediate junction that joins the second strip member of the second expansion component to the first strip member of the third expansion component; a first external opening separating the first and second expansion components; and a second external opening separating the second and third expansion components; wherein, in the contracted position, at least one internal opening of the first, second, and third expansion components is an internal slit; wherein, in the contracted position, the first end junctions of the first, second, and third expansion components are offset from each other in the transverse direction and the second end junctions of the first, second, and third expansion components are offset from each other in the transverse direction; wherein, in the contracted position, the first end junctions of the first, second, and third expansion components cooperate to define the first peripheral edge of the support member and the second end junctions of the first, second, and third expansion components cooperate to define the second peripheral edge, the first and second peripheral edges being staggered; wherein the first external opening, in the contracted position, is a first external slit that extends from the first intermediate junction to the first peripheral edge, the first external slit being open at the first peripheral edge; wherein the second external opening, in the contracted position, is a second external slit that extends from the second intermediate junction to the first peripheral edge, the second external slit being open at the first peripheral edge; wherein the internal openings, the first external opening, and the second external opening change in area as the support member moves between the contracted position and the expanded position; and wherein the support member is forms at least a portion of the upper in the expanded position. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification