FOOTWEAR UPPER WITH FLEXIBLE COLLAR ASSEMBLY

• US 20070289166A1
• Filed: 06/25/2007
• Published: 12/20/2007
• 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 7,712,230 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/89
• 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

1-5. -5. (canceled)

6. 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, enabling said collar to telescopically fit over said neck during flexion of the footwear upper; and

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

7. The upper assembly of claim 6 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.

8. The upper assembly of claim 6 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 6 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.

20-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A footwear upper comprising:

a lower portion including an upward extending neck;

an upper portion flexibly joined to said lower portion and flexibly moveable forwardly and rewardly in relation to said lower portion;

said upper portion including a collar capable of telescopically receiving said upward extending neck, said collar fitting over said upward extending neck when said upper portion is made to flex rearward; and

a gusset joined to said lower portion and said collar.

30. The footwear upper of claim 29 wherein said gusset is substantially hidden by said collar when said upper portion is in said rearward position.

31. The footwear upper of claim 29 wherein said gusset is substantially hidden by said collar throughout said upper portion range of motion.

32. The footwear upper of claim 29 wherein said gusset is a continuous extension of said neck.

33. The footwear upper of claim 29 wherein said neck and said lower portion are integrally constructed from a continuous piece of material.

34. The footwear upper of claim 29 wherein said collar and said lower portion are integrally constructed from a continuous piece of material.