COMPONENTS FOR ARTICLES OF FOOTWEAR INCLUDING LIGHTWEIGHT, SELECTIVELY SUPPORTED TEXTILE COMPONENTS
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An upper for an article of footwear, comprising:
- an upper base member having a seamless plantar support surface that extends continuously to form a support for at least a portion of a plantar surface of a wearer'"'"'s foot and continuously around a lateral, midfoot side edge and a medial, midfoot side edge of the upper base member; and
a first support member engaged with an exterior surface of the upper base member by a bonding or adhesive material, wherein the first support member extends continuously around the lateral, midfoot side edge of the upper base member, across the plantar support surface, and around the medial midfoot side edge of the upper base member.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Footwear components are made from lightweight textile structures (e.g., including circular knitted structures made from natural or synthetic fibers, such as socks or sock-type structures). The textile structures are selectively supported at various areas to provide desired local characteristics. Additional aspects relate to methods of making such components, precursors to such components, and articles of footwear containing such components.
107 Citations
35 Claims
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1. An upper for an article of footwear, comprising:
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an upper base member having a seamless plantar support surface that extends continuously to form a support for at least a portion of a plantar surface of a wearer'"'"'s foot and continuously around a lateral, midfoot side edge and a medial, midfoot side edge of the upper base member; and a first support member engaged with an exterior surface of the upper base member by a bonding or adhesive material, wherein the first support member extends continuously around the lateral, midfoot side edge of the upper base member, across the plantar support surface, and around the medial midfoot side edge of the upper base member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An upper for an article of footwear, comprising:
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an upper base member having a seamless plantar support surface that extends continuously to form a support for at least a portion of a plantar surface of a wearer'"'"'s foot and continuously around a lateral, midfoot side edge and a medial, midfoot side edge of the upper base member; a first support member engaged with an exterior surface of the upper base member by a bonding or adhesive material, wherein the first support member extends continuously around the lateral, midfoot side edge of the upper base member and along a lateral, midfoot side portion of the plantar support surface; and a second support member engaged with the exterior surface of the upper base member by a bonding or adhesive material, wherein the second support member extends continuously around the medial, midfoot side edge of the upper base member and along a medial, midfoot side portion of the plantar support surface, wherein the second support member is separate from the first support member, and wherein a portion of the second support member is separated from a portion of the first support member by a distance of less than 1 inch at a midfoot area of the plantar support surface of the upper base member. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of forming an upper for an article of footwear, comprising:
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engaging an upper base member with a jig such that the upper base member surrounds a first portion of the jig, wherein the first portion of the jig has a substantially planar first surface, a substantially planar second surface opposite the first surface, and a thickness of less than ½
inch between the first and second surfaces;positioning a first support member adjacent a surface of the upper base member such that the upper base member is located between the first support member and the jig, wherein at least a portion of a surface of the first support member adjacent the surface of the upper base member includes a bonding or adhesive material; applying a compressive force to the first and second surfaces of the jig through the upper base member and the first support member; and heating the jig, wherein the jig is heated so as to transfer heat from inside the upper base member to the bonding or adhesive material of the first support member through the upper base member and so as to engage the first support member to the upper base member via the bonding or adhesive material. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of forming an upper for an article of footwear, comprising:
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positioning a support base in contact with a first surface of an upper base member; positioning a first support member adjacent a second surface of the upper base member such that the upper base member is located between the first support member and the support base, wherein at least a portion of a surface of the first support member adjacent the second surface of the upper base member includes a bonding or adhesive material; applying a compressive force to hold at least a portion of the upper base member between the first support member and the support base; and heating the support base so as to transfer heat from the support base to the first support member through the upper base member and so as to engage the first support member to the upper base member via the bonding or adhesive material. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
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35. A method of forming an upper for an article of footwear, comprising:
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engaging an upper base member with a jig such that the upper base member surrounds a first portion of the jig, wherein the first portion of the jig has a substantially planar first surface, a substantially planar second surface opposite the first surface, and a thickness of less than ½
inch between the first and second surfaces;positioning a first support member adjacent a surface of the upper base member such that the upper base member is located between the first support member and the jig, wherein at least a portion of a surface of the first support member adjacent the surface of the upper base member includes a bonding or adhesive material; and engaging the first support member with the upper base member via the bonding or adhesive material including at least one of; (a) applying a compressive force to the first and second surfaces of the jig through the upper base member and the first support member, and (b) heating the jig, wherein the jig is heated so as to transfer heat from inside the upper base member to the bonding or adhesive material of the first support member through the upper base member and so as to engage the first support member to the upper base member via the bonding or adhesive material.
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Specification