Material having compressible projections and footwear incorporating the material

• US 20030221336A1
• Filed: 05/29/2002
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Krstic, Ruzica
• Granted Patent: US 7,089,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/93
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/024 Different layers of the same material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/028 Resilient uppers, e.g. shock absorbing
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0042 with circular or circle shaped parts
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 3/02 with springs made of steel or of other material having low internal friction

Abstract

The present invention relates to a material with a substrate and a plurality of compressible projections connected to the substrate. The projections may be formed in a thermoplastic substrate to have a variety of shapes, including a shape that defines a base portion and a spring portion. The spring portion may have a structure of a belleville spring that exhibits a non-linear and bi-stable response to compressive forces. The material may be incorporated into an upper for an article of footwear, thereby providing the footwear with enhanced fit and comfort characteristics.

Claims

1. An article of footwear including an upper with a material comprising a sheet of thermoplastic material that defines a plurality of compressible projections, said projections substantially returning to an uncompressed configuration following a compression of said projections.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said projections are hollow.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said projections have a shape selected from a group consisting of a dome, a cone, a truncated cone, a cube, a pyramid, and a cylinder.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein at least one of said projections have a base portion and a spring portion, said spring portion being connected to said base portion opposite said sheet of thermoplastic material.

5. The article of footwear of claim 4, wherein said spring portion has a configuration of a belleville spring.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said projections have a wall thickness in a range of 0.25 to 1.0 millimeters.

7. The article of footwear of claim 6, wherein said projections have a height in a range of 1 to 25 millimeters.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said upper includes a first layer and a second layer of said material that are superimposed and connected together.

9. The article of footwear of claim 8, wherein said first layer and said second layer are positioned such that said projections of said first layer contact said projections of said second layer.

10. The article of footwear of claim 8, wherein said first layer and said second layer are positioned such that said substrate of said first layer contacts said substrate of said second layer.

11. An article of footwear including an upper that incorporates a material comprising a substrate and a plurality of compressible projections attached to said substrate, at least a portion of said projections having a location adjacent a foot cavity of said upper, said location being selected such that a compressive force directed toward said material from said foot cavity is applied to at least one of said projections, said at least one of said projections compressing upon application of said compressive force and substantially returning to an uncompressed configuration following a removal of said compressive force.

12. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein said substrate and said projections are formed from a sheet of thermoplastic material.

13. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein a textile material is located on at least one surface of said material.

14. The article of footwear of claim 13, wherein said textile material is positioned adjacent said projections.

15. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein said upper includes a first layer and a second layer of said material.

16. The article of footwear of claim 15, wherein said first layer and said second layer are positioned such that said projections of said first layer contact said projections of said second layer.

17. The article of footwear of claim 15, wherein said first layer and said second layer are positioned such that said substrate of said first layer contacts said substrate of said second layer.

18. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein said projections are hollow.

19. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein said projections have a shape selected from a group consisting of a dome, a cone, a truncated cone, a cube, a pyramid, and a cylinder.

20. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein said projections have a base portion and a spring portion, said spring portion being connected to said base portion opposite said sheet of thermoplastic material.

21. The article of footwear of claim 20, wherein said spring portion has a configuration of a belleville spring.

22. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein dimensions of said projections vary in different areas of said upper.

23. A material comprising a sheet of thermoplastic material that forms a plurality of compressible projections, said projections substantially returning to an uncompressed configuration following a compression of said projections, at least a portion of said projections including a base portion and a spring portion, said spring portion having a configuration of a belleville spring that is connected to said base portion opposite said sheet of thermoplastic material.

24. The material of claim 23, wherein said material is incorporated into an upper of an article of footwear.

25. The material of claim 24, wherein at least a portion of said projections have a location adjacent a foot cavity of said footwear.

26. The material of claim 25, wherein said projections are directed toward said foot cavity.

27. The material of claim 25, wherein a textile material separates said foot cavity from said material.

28. The material of claim 24, wherein said upper includes a first layer and a second layer of said material.

29. The material of claim 28, wherein said first layer and said second layer are positioned such that said projections of said first layer contact said projections of said second layer.

30. The material of claim 28, wherein said first layer and said second layer are positioned such that said substrate of said first layer contacts said substrate of said second layer.

31. The material of claim 23, wherein said projections have a wall thickness in a range of 0.25 to 1.0 millimeters.

32. The material of claim 23, wherein said base portion includes a recess.

33. The material of claim 32, wherein at least a portion of said spring portion deforms into said recess during said compression of said projections.

34. The material of claim 23, wherein said belleville spring forms an angle with respect to said substrate, said angle being in a range of 10 and 80 degrees.

35. The material of claim 23, wherein a width of said base portion is in a range of 2 to 12 millimeters.

36. The material of claim 23, wherein said projections are formed integral with said substrate.

37. The material of claim 23, wherein said projections are formed separate from said substrate and attached to said substrate.

38. An material comprising a sheet of thermoplastic substrate with a plurality of compressible projections that return to an uncompressed configuration following a compression, said projections each including a base portion and a spring portion, said spring portion deforming during said compression, said material having a first thickness in said uncompressed configuration and having a second thickness in a compressed configuration such that said material:

has said first thickness when a compressive force acting upon said projections is less than a first threshold;

converts to a second thickness when said compressive force is greater than said first threshold, said second thickness being less than said first thickness;

remains at said second thickness when said compressive force is less than said first threshold and greater than a second threshold, said second threshold being less than said first threshold; and

returns to said first thickness when said compressive force is reduced below said second threshold.

39. The material of claim 38, wherein said spring portion has a configuration of a belleville spring.

40. The material of claim 38, wherein said base portion defines a recess.

41. The material of claim 40, wherein at least a portion of said spring portion deforms into said recess when said projections are in said compressed configuration.

42. An article of footwear including an upper that incorporates a material comprising a substrate and a plurality of compressible projections attached to said substrate, said substrate and said projections being formed from a sheet of thermoplastic material, at least a portion of said projections including a base portion and a spring portion, said spring portion having a configuration of a belleville spring that is connected to said base portion opposite said substrate, at least a portion of said projections having a location adjacent a foot cavity of said upper, said location being selected such that a compressive force directed toward said material from said foot cavity is applied to at least one of said projections, said at least one of said projections compressing upon application of said compressive force and substantially returning to an uncompressed configuration following a removal of said compressive force.

43. The article of footwear of claim 42, wherein said upper includes a first layer and a second layer of said material.

44. The article of footwear of claim 43, wherein said first layer and said second layer are positioned such that said projections of said first layer contact said projections of said second layer.

45. The article of footwear of claim 43, wherein said first layer and said second layer are positioned such that said substrate of said first layer contacts said substrate of said second layer.

46. The article of footwear of claim 42, wherein said projections are hollow.

47. The article of footwear of claim 42, wherein dimensions of said projections vary in different areas of said upper.

48. An upper for an article of footwear, said upper incorporating a material comprising at least a first sheet and a second sheet of thermoplastic material that are superimposed and connected together, said first sheet including a first substrate and a plurality of first projections formed in said first substrate, and said second sheet including a second substrate and a plurality of second projections formed in said second substrate, said first projections and said second projections being compressible, and said first projections and said second projections having a configuration that returns to an uncompressed configuration following a compression of said first projections and said second projections.

49. The upper of claim 48, wherein end portions of said first projections and said second projections are connected.

50. The upper of claim 48, wherein said first substrate and said second substrate are connected.

51. The upper of claim 48, wherein said first projections are connected to said second substrate, and said second projections are connected to said first substrate.

52. The upper of claim 48, wherein at least one of said first projections has a base portion and a spring portion, said spring portion being connected to said base portion opposite said first substrate.

53. The upper of claim 52, wherein said spring portion has a configuration of a belleville spring.

54. A material comprising at least a first sheet and a second sheet of thermoplastic material that are superimposed and connected together, said first sheet including:

a first substrate; and

a plurality of first projections formed in said first substrate, each of said first projections having a first base portion and a first spring portion, said first spring portion being connected to said first base portion opposite said first substrate,

and said second sheet including;

a second substrate; and

a plurality of second projections formed in said second substrate, each of said second projections having a second base portion and a second spring portion, said second spring portion being connected to said second base portion opposite said second substrate,

said first projections and said second projections being compressible, and said first projections and said second projections having a configuration that returns to an uncompressed configuration following a compression of said first projections and said second projections.

55. The material of claim 54, wherein said first spring portions are connected to said second spring portions.

56. The material of claim 54, wherein said first substrate and said second substrate are connected.

57. The material of claim 54, wherein said first spring portions are connected to said second substrate, and said second spring portions are connected to said first substrate.

58. The upper of claim 54, wherein said first and second spring portions have a configuration of a belleville spring.