Article of Footwear Having Welded Upper
First Claim
1. An article of footwear including a sole structure fixedly attached to an upper configured to receive a foot of a wearer, the upper comprising:
- a skin layer forming at least a portion of an external surface of the upper; and
a reinforcing material selectively located internal and adjacent to portions of the skin layer, thereby defining reinforced portions of the skin layer and unreinforced portions of the skin layer;
wherein the reinforcing material is selectively joined with the skin layer at a bonded area by welding, the bonded area having an externally exposed surface that defines a portion of the external surface of the upper; and
wherein the skin layer has a first color and the externally exposed surface of the bonded area has a second color that is different from the first color.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An article of footwear may include an upper, including a skin layer forming at least a portion of an external surface of the upper. The upper may also include a reinforcing material selectively located internal and adjacent to portions of the skin layer, thereby defining reinforced portions of the skin layer and unreinforced portions of the skin layer. The reinforcing material may be selectively joined with the skin layer at a bonded area by welding, the bonded area having an externally exposed surface that defines a portion of the external surface of the upper. In addition, the skin layer may have a first color and the externally exposed surface of the bonded area may have a second color that is different from the first color.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. An article of footwear including a sole structure fixedly attached to an upper configured to receive a foot of a wearer, the upper comprising:
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a skin layer forming at least a portion of an external surface of the upper; and a reinforcing material selectively located internal and adjacent to portions of the skin layer, thereby defining reinforced portions of the skin layer and unreinforced portions of the skin layer; wherein the reinforcing material is selectively joined with the skin layer at a bonded area by welding, the bonded area having an externally exposed surface that defines a portion of the external surface of the upper; and wherein the skin layer has a first color and the externally exposed surface of the bonded area has a second color that is different from the first color. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An article of footwear including a sole structure fixedly attached to an upper defining an internal void configured to receive a foot of a wearer, the upper comprising:
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a skin layer forming at least a portion of an external surface of the upper, the skin layer being formed of a mesh material; and a reinforcing material selectively located internal and adjacent to the skin layer, thereby defining reinforced portions of the skin layer and unreinforced portions of the skin layer; wherein the unreinforced portions of the skin layer provide direct ventilation, through the mesh material of the skin layer, to the internal void defined by the upper; wherein the reinforcing material is selectively joined with the skin layer at a bonded area by welding, the bonded area having an externally exposed surface that defines a portion of the external surface of the upper; and wherein the skin layer has a first color and the externally exposed surface of the bonded area has a second color that is different from the first color. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An article of footwear including a sole structure fixedly attached to an upper configured to receive a foot of a wearer, the upper comprising:
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a skin layer forming at least a portion of an external surface of the upper; and a reinforcing material selectively located internal and adjacent to portions of the skin layer, thereby defining reinforced portions of the skin layer and unreinforced portions of the skin layer; wherein the reinforcing material is selectively joined with the skin layer at a bonded area by welding, the bonded area having an externally exposed surface that defines a portion of the external surface of the upper; wherein the skin layer has a first color and the reinforcing material has a second color that is different from the first color; and wherein the externally exposed surface of the bonded area includes portions of the reinforcing material, thus providing the externally exposed surface of the bonded area with substantially the same color as the reinforcing material. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of making an article of footwear, including forming an upper configured to receive a foot of a wearer, comprising:
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selectively attaching an inner reinforcing material to a skin layer using welding; and arranging the skin layer to form at least a portion of an external surface of the upper; wherein the skin layer has a first color and the reinforcing material has a second color that is different from the first color; and wherein welding the inner reinforcing material to the skin layer forms a bonded area having an externally exposed surface that defines a portion of the external surface of the upper, the externally exposed surface of the bonded area including portions of the reinforcing material, thus providing the externally exposed surface of the bonded area with a different color than the skin layer. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification