Footwear upper with flexible collar assembly

• US 20060075663A1
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wolverine Outdoors, Inc. (Wolverine World Wide Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wolverine World Wide Inc.
• Inventors: Nakano, Kiyotaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,293,372 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/109
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0018 made at least partially of flexible, bellow-like shaped material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/045 Uppers with inserted gussets
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/20 Ankle-joint supports or holders

Abstract

A footwear upper having a collar assembly that is joined at its forward edge to the lower portion of the upper by a flexible region of material so that the collar may flex forward and rearward in relation to the lower portion of the upper. In one aspect of the invention, the upper includes a neck portion that is telescopically overlapped by the collar. In another aspect, the upper includes a gusset that extends between the lower portion and the collar, with at least a portion of the gusset being substantially hidden from view.

Claims

1. A footwear upper comprising:

a lower portion defining a foot containing space;

a collar including a forward edge and a bottom edge, wherein said forward edge is flexibly joined to said lower portion creating a flexible region of material so that said collar may flex forward and rearward in relation to said lower portion; and

a gusset joined to said lower portion and said collar, said gusset being substantially hidden by said collar or said lower portion.

2. The upper assembly of claim 1 wherein said lower portion includes a neck extending upwardly from a remainder of said lower portion to wrap around an ankle region, said gusset being joined to said neck and to said collar.

3. The upper assembly of claim 2 wherein said neck and said lower portion are integral being constructed from a continuous piece of material.

4. The upper assembly of claim 2 wherein said neck includes a top edge and said collar includes a bottom edge, said gusset being joined between said top edge of said neck and said bottom edge of said collar.

5. The upper assembly of claim 1 wherein said collar and said lower portion are integral being constructed from a continuous piece of material.

6. The upper assembly of claim 5 further including a lacing trim extending along opposite side of a tongue opening, said collar joined to said lower portion only along a region of material no wider than said lacing trim.

7. The upper assembly of claim 1 wherein said collar is telescopically fitted over said neck creating an overlapping region so that said collar slides over said neck during flexion of the footwear upper;

8. The upper assembly of claim 1 wherein said collar is flexibly movable in a forward/rearward direction between rearward, central and forward positions, said gusset being substantially hidden by said collar at least when said collar is in said central position and said rearward position.

9. The upper assembly of claim 1 wherein said collar is flexibly movable in a forward/rearward direction through a range of motion;

said gusset being substantially hidden by said collar throughout said range of motion.

10. A footwear upper comprising:

a lower portion including a neck, wherein said neck includes a top edge and extends upwardly from a remainder of said lower portion wrapping around an ankle region; and

a collar including a forward edge and a bottom edge, wherein said collar and said neck are telescopically overlapped in a first region and flexibly joined in a second region, said second region including said forward edge.

11. The upper assembly of claim 10 wherein said neck is constructed of a more flexible material than a remainder of said lower portion.

12. The upper assembly of claim 10 wherein said neck and said lower portion are integrally constructed from a continuous piece of material.

13. The upper assembly of claim 10 wherein said collar and said lower portion are integrally constructed from a continuous piece of material.

14. The upper assembly of claim 10 wherein said first region is further defined as the portion of said bottom edge of said collar that wraps around an ankle region of the foot and is not flexibly joined to said neck.

15. The upper assembly of claim 10 further including a lacing trim extending along the opposite side of a tongue opening, said collar flexibly joined to said lower portion only along a region of material no wider than said lacing trim.

16. The upper assembly of claim 10 further including a gusset extending between said neck and said collar;

17. The upper assembly of claim 16 wherein said gusset is substantially hidden by said collar.

18. The upper assembly of claim 16 wherein said gusset is a continuous extension of said neck.

19. The upper assembly of claim 16 wherein said gusset extends between said top edge of said neck and said bottom edge of said collar.

20. A footwear upper comprising:

a lower portion defining a foot containing space;

a collar including a forward edge and a bottom edge, a portion of said collar including said forward edge being flexibly joined to said lower portion with a flexible region of material so that said collar may flex forward and rearward in relation to said lower portion; and

a gusset attached between said lower portion and said collar along a portion of said bottom edge not directly joined to said lower portion, said gusset including a fold that extends behind said collar or said lower portion.

21. The footwear upper of claim 20 wherein said gusset includes a first fold extending behind said collar and a second fold extending behind said lower portion.

22. The footwear upper of claim 20 further including a liner material attached between said collar and said lower portion.

23. The footwear upper of claim 22 wherein a portion of said gusset is attached to said liner.

24. The footwear upper of claim 22 wherein said liner is a stretch material.

25. The footwear upper of claim 20 wherein said collar and said lower portion are constructed from a continuous piece of material.

26. The footwear upper of claim 20 where said gusset is a continuous extension of said collar.

27. The footwear upper of claim 20 wherein said lower portion includes a heel support and an ankle support, said gusset including a first fold extending behind said collar and a second fold extending behind said ankle support.

28. The footwear upper of claim 26 wherein said gusset is a continuous extension of said collar and said ankle support.