Article of Footwear with Dynamic Support

• US 20150296922A1
• Filed: 04/22/2014
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Rushbrook, Thomas J., Beers, Tiffany A., Gilbreath, Nathan T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,380,834 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 1/08 Details
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/002 adapted to accommodate electronic equipment patients' garments for medical monitoring A41D13/1281; luminous ornaments A41D27/085
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/06 Trousers
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/065 Knee protectors
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 20/00 Wristbands or headbands, e.g. for absorbing sweat
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0215 Plastics or artificial leather
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0235 Different layers of different material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0245 characterised by the constructive form
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/026 Laminated layers
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0265 having different properties in different directions
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/027 with a part of the upper particularly flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0275 with a part of the upper particularly rigid, e.g. resisting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/028 Resilient uppers, e.g. shock absorbing
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0295 Pieced uppers
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/16 made of impregnated fabrics, plastics or the like A43B23/086 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/44 with sensors, e.g. for detecting contact or position
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/48 with transmitting devices, e.g. GSM or Wi-Fi®
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/002 Mountain boots or shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/02 Football boots or shoes, i.e. for soccer, football or rugby
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/025 : characterised by an element which improves the contact between the ball and the footwear
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/06 : Running shoes; Track shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/141 : having an anatomical or curved form
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/32 : with shock-absorbing means resilient soles A43B13/18
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 : electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/401 : characterised by control arrangements for measuring, e.g. calibration and initialisation, measuring workpiece for machining purposes G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37399 : Pressure

Abstract

An article of footwear with a dynamic support system that controls arrays of tiles in the upper of the footwear to adjust the level of support provided in different regions of the upper. Sensors in the sole of the footwear, in the upper of the footwear and/or in an article worn by the wearer of the footwear measure the level of stress or other characteristics and provide input to one or more microprocessors that control motors located in the sole or in the upper of the footwear. When the motors are activated, they may compress or loosen arrays of tiles to adjust the stiffness of the upper in one or more regions of the upper.

Claims

1. An article of footwear comprising:

a sole;

an upper;

a microprocessor;

at least one sensor in communication with the microprocessor, wherein the at least one sensor is embedded in at least one of the sole and the upper;

an array of tiles embedded in the upper with at least one cable laced through the array of tiles and wound around a reel;

a reversible motor attached to the reel such that the reversible motor can rotate the reel in a first direction to pull in the cable and compress the array of tiles and wherein the reversible motor can rotate the reel in a second direction opposite to the first direction to loosen the array of tiles;

wherein the microprocessor is in communication with the reversible motor and can activate the reversible motor to rotate the reel in the first direction or in a the second direction, and

wherein the microprocessor comprises at least one algorithm that receives input from the at least one sensor and, in response to the input, determines whether to rotate the reel in the first direction to pull in the cable to compress the array of tiles or to rotate the reel in the second direction to loosen the array of tiles.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is in wireless communication with the microprocessor over a personal-area network.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is in wired communication with the microprocessor.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is a pressure sensor embedded in the sole of the article of footwear.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is a tension sensor embedded in the upper.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the array of tiles is an array of diamond-shaped tiles, and the at least one cable is a plurality of cables laced through the vertices of the diamond-shaped tiles.

7. The article of footwear of claim 6, wherein the array of tiles has a plurality of rows of tiles and a plurality of columns of tiles.

8. The article of footwear of claim 7, wherein the plurality of cables is laced through alternate columns or alternate rows of tiles.

9. The article of footwear of claim 7, wherein the plurality of cables is laced through alternate columns of tiles and alternate rows of tiles.

10. The article of footwear of claim 7, wherein the plurality of cables is laced through adjoining rows of tiles and through adjoining columns of tiles.

11. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole comprising a dynamic support system, said dynamic support system comprising:

an array of tiles embedded in a fabric portion of the upper;

a microprocessor;

at least one of a pressure sensor in the sole reporting to the microprocessor and a tension sensor in the upper reporting to the microprocessor;

a plurality of cables laced through the array of tiles and mechanically connected to a reel attached to a reversible motor;

wherein the microprocessor receives input from at least one sensor and controls the reversible motor to rotate the reel to compress the array of tiles according to the input received from the at least one sensor.

12. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein the array of tiles comprises columns and rows of tiles and wherein at least two cables of the plurality of cables are laced diagonally through the tiles.

13. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein the microprocessor receives input reporting a level of pressure above a predetermined level of pressure from the pressure sensor in the sole and responds by activating the reversible motor to rotate the reel and compress the array of tiles.

14. The article of footwear of claim 13, wherein the array of tiles is located in a forefoot region of the upper, and the pressure sensor is located in a big toe region of the upper.

15. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein the microprocessor receives input reporting a level of tension above a predetermined level of tension from a tension sensor in the fabric portion of the upper and responds by activating the reversible motor to rotate the reel and compress the array of tiles.

16. The article of footwear of claim 15, wherein the array of tiles is located below the ankle opening on at least one of a medial side of the upper and a lateral side of the upper.

17. A left article of footwear and a right article of footwear,

the left article of footwear comprising:

a first microprocessor;

a first pressure sensor in a left sole of the left article of footwear in communication with the first microprocessor;

a first reversible motor is communication with the first microprocessor;

a first reel attached to the first motor; and

a first array of tiles in a left upper of the left article of footwear, wherein the first array of tiles is mechanically connected to the first reel by a first cable system;

the right article of footwear comprising;

a second microprocessor;

a second pressure sensor in a right sole of the right article of footwear in communication with the second microprocessor;

a second reversible motor in communication with the second microprocessor;

a second reel attached to the second motor; and

a second array of tiles in a right upper of the right article of footwear, wherein the second array of tiles is mechanically connected to the second reel by a second cable system;

wherein the first microprocessor is configured to receive input from both the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor, and to respond to input received from the second pressure sensor by activating the first motor to compress the first array of tiles;

wherein the second microprocessor is configured to receive input from both the second pressure sensor and the first pressure sensor, and to respond to input received from the first pressure sensor by activating the second motor to compress the second array of tiles.

18. The left article of footwear and the right article of footwear of claim 17, wherein the first microprocessor and the second microprocessor are in wireless communication with each other.

19. The left article of footwear and the right article of footwear of claim 18,

wherein the second pressure sensor is in communication with the second microprocessor and wherein the first microprocessor receives data indicative of a level of pressure from the second pressure sensor via wireless communication with the second microprocessor, and

wherein the first pressure sensor is in communication with the first microprocessor and wherein the second microprocessor receives data indicative of a level of pressure from the first pressure sensor via wireless communication with the first microprocessor.

20. The left article of footwear and the right article of footwear of claim 17,

wherein the first array of tiles is an array of diamond-shaped tiles that is mechanically connected to the first reel by a first plurality of first cables traversing the tiles diagonally;

and

wherein the second array of tiles is an array of diamond-shaped tiles that is mechanically connected to the second reel by a second plurality of second cables traversing the tiles diagonally.

21. A dynamic support system for an article of footwear comprising:

at least one sensor located in the article of footwear;

at least one sensor located in an article worn by a wearer of the article of footwear, wherein the article worn by the wearer is different than the article of footwear;

a microprocessor in the article of footwear in communication with the at least one sensor located in the article of footwear and with the at least one sensor located in an article worn by the wearer of the article of footwear;

wherein the microprocessor receives a first input from the sensor located in the article of footwear and a second input from the sensor located in the article worn by the wearer of the article of footwear over a personal-area network and responds to at least one of the first input and the second input by determining whether to activate a motor to compress an array of tiles in a fabric portion of the article of footwear.

22. The dynamic support system of claim 21,

wherein the article of footwear has a sole and an upper,

wherein the sensor located in the article of footwear is one of a pressure sensor located in the sole and a tension sensor located in the upper;

and

wherein the sensor located in the article of apparel is a motion sensor.

23. The dynamic support system of claim 22, wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer.

24. The dynamic support system of claim 21, wherein the article worn by the wearer of the article of footwear is one of a head band, a wrist band, a knee pad, and ankle wrap, a shirt, a pair of shorts and a pair of pants.

25. An article of footwear with an upper and a sole comprising:

a plurality of diamond-shaped tiles arranged in an array of rows and columns;

a first set of cables laced diagonally through the diamond-shaped tiles from one vertex to an opposite vertex of the diamond shaped tiles in one of (a) alternate rows of the array of rows and columns and (b) alternate columns in the array of rows and columns,

wherein the first set of cables is mechanically connected to a first reel attached to a first reversible motor;

at least one stress sensor in one of the upper and the sole that is in communication with a microprocessor,

wherein the microprocessor is configured to control the first reversible motor to compress the tiles when it receives an input from the sensor indicating that a detected stress level is above a first predetermined stress level.

26. The article of footwear of claim 25, further comprising a second set of cables laced diagonally through the diamond-shaped tiles from one vertex to an opposite vertex of the diamond shaped tiles in the other one of the (a) alternate rows of the array of rows and columns and (b) alternate columns in the array of rows and columns.

27. The article of footwear of claim 25, wherein the first set of cables is laced through passageways in the tiles.

28. The article of footwear of claim 25, wherein the microprocessor is configured to control the first reversible motor to loosen the array of tiles when it receives an input from the sensor indicating that a detected stress level is below a second predetermined stress level.