Uppers and Articles Incorporating Same

• US 20140259760A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Dojan, Frederick J., Kohatsu, Shane S., Krstic, Ruzica
• Granted Patent: US 9,826,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/45
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/028 Synthetic or artificial fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/04 braided, knotted, knitted or crocheted
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0225 Composite materials, e.g. material with a matrix
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0255 assembled by gluing or thermo bonding
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/026 Laminated layers
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0265 having different properties in different directions
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0275 with a part of the upper particularly rigid, e.g. resisting articulation or torsion

Abstract

A composite shell for an upper may include a base layer and a fiber-reinforced layer. The base layer may comprise a mesh or other type of textile material and may extend at least over sides of a generally foot-shaped interior region of the upper. The fiber-reinforced layer may be at least partially bonded to the base layer. The fiber-reinforced layer may extend at least from a lower portion of the base layer generally corresponding to a footbed perimeter to at least a top portion of the base layer generally corresponding to part of an instep region. The fiber-reinforced layer may include a plurality of strips extending from the lower portion to the top portion, the strips separated by inter-strip gaps in the fiber-reinforced layer.

Claims

1. An upper comprising:

a textile base layer extending at least over sides of a generally foot-shaped interior region; and

a fiber-reinforced layer at least partially bonded to the base layer, wherein

the fiber-reinforced layer extends at least from a lower portion of the base layer generally corresponding to a footbed perimeter to at least a top portion of the base layer generally corresponding to part of an instep region, and

the fiber-reinforced layer includes a plurality of strips extending from the lower portion to the top portion, the strips separated by inter-strip gaps in the fiber-reinforced layer.

2. The upper of claim 1, wherein the base layer comprises a stretchable textile material.

3. The upper of claim 2, wherein the strips comprise a non-stretchable fiber material.

4. The upper of claim 1, wherein the strips comprise a non-stretchable fiber material.

5. The upper of claim 1, wherein the base layer comprises a knitted mesh.

6. The upper of claim 1, wherein the strips comprise at least one of woven polyester fibers and woven polyamide fibers bound in a polymer matrix.

7. The upper of claim 1, wherein the strips comprise at least one of glass fibers and carbon fibers bound in a polymer matrix.

8. The upper of claim 1, wherein the base layer comprises a continuous single-piece knitted element.

9. The upper of claim 1, wherein the fiber-reinforced layer comprises a continuous single piece element.

10. The upper of claim 1, wherein the strips comprise at least five strips distributed across medial forefoot and medial midfoot regions, at least four strips located in a heel region, and at least five strips distributed across lateral forefoot and lateral midfoot regions.

11. The upper of claim 1, wherein portions of the strips on at least one of the medial and lateral sides have orientations that progressively vary from a rearwardly angled orientation in a front portion of the upper to a forwardly angled orientation in a rear portion of the upper.

12. An article of footwear comprising:

the upper of claim 1; and

a sole structure joined to the upper.

13. A method for forming an upper, comprising:

positioning a panel of a fiber-reinforced material and a panel of a textile material in an aligned assembly;

compressing the assembly and applying heat so as to bond at least portions of the fiber-reinforced material to the textile material; and

incorporating the assembly into a footwear upper, wherein, as a result of the positioning, compressing and incorporating,

the fiber-reinforced material panel forms at least part of a fiber-reinforced layer bonded to a base layer formed at least in part by the textile material panel, the textile material panel extending at least from a lower portion of the base layer generally corresponding to a footbed perimeter to at least a top portion of the base layer generally corresponding to part of an instep region, and

the fiber-reinforced layer includes a plurality of strips extending from the lower portion to the top portion, the strips separated by inter-strip gaps in the fiber-reinforced layer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein

compressing the assembly and applying heat so as to bond at least portions of the fiber-reinforced material panel to the textile material panel comprises compressing the assembly to form a substantially flat composite shell, and

incorporating the assembly into a footwear upper comprises attaching a first edge of the composite shell to a second edge of the composite shell and forming a three-dimensional curved shape that comprises a foot-insertion opening of the upper.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the textile material is stretchable.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the strips comprise a non-stretchable fiber material.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the strips comprise a non-stretchable fiber material.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the textile material comprises a knitted mesh.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the strips comprise at least one of woven polyester fibers and woven polyamide fibers bound in a polymer matrix.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the strips comprise at least one of glass fibers and carbon fibers bound in a polymer matrix.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the textile material panel comprises a continuous single-piece knitted element.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the fiber-reinforced material panel comprises a continuous single piece element.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the strips comprise at least five strips distributed across medial forefoot and medial midfoot regions, at least four strips located in a heel region, and at least five strips distributed across lateral forefoot and lateral midfoot regions.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein portions of the strips on at least one of medial and lateral sides have orientations that progressively vary from a rearwardly angled orientation in a front portion of the upper to a forwardly angled orientation in a rear portion of the upper.