UPPER WITH SENSORY FEEDBACK

• US 20170164683A1
• Filed: 02/27/2017
• Published: 06/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2014
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Smaldone, Patricia L., Van Atta, Dylan S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,285,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 23/028 Resilient uppers, e.g. shock absorbing
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0295 Pieced uppers
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/025 characterised by an element which improves the contact between the ball and the footwear
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/16 Skating boots
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/1625 made from materials with different rigidities

Abstract

An article of footwear includes projection members providing sensory feedback. The projection members are movable relative to an upper of the article of footwear. When the upper encounters a surface of an object, the projection members may be displaced in a direction towards wearer'"'"'s foot. The projection members may be configured so that they are inserted into apertures located on the upper, and extend above an outer surface of the upper.

Claims

1. An article of footwear, comprising:

an upper having an outwardly facing surface, an inwardly facing surface opposite the outwardly facing surface, and a plurality of apertures;

a sole structure secured to the upper; and

a projection member system including a base layer and a plurality of projection members, wherein the base layer includes a first side and a second side opposite the first side, and the first side of the base layer is attached to the inwardly facing surface of the upper, and wherein the projection members have proximal and distal portions,

wherein the distal portions of the projection members extend from the first side of the base layer and the outwardly facing surface of the upper and extend through the apertures of the upper, and

wherein at least one of the projection members is independently movable relative to another projection member.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein the projection member system comprises a first projection member system attached to a forefoot region of the upper and a second projection member system attached to the upper at a location spaced from the forefoot region.

3. The article of claim 1, wherein the projection members are independently movable in a proximal direction and a distal direction relative to the upper.

4. The article of claim 1, wherein the projection member system further includes a plurality of connecting members attached to and extending between the base layer and the projection members.

5. The article of claim 4, wherein the at least one of the projection members is movable relative to the base layer and the upper.

6. The article of claim 4, wherein the projection members and the connecting members are integrally formed with the base layer.

7. The article of claim 4, wherein the connecting members comprise first and second end portions, the first end portions are attached to the second side of the base layer, and the second end portions are attached to the proximal portions of the projection members.

8. The article of claim 4, wherein the connecting members comprise curved sidewalls.

9. The article of claim 4, wherein the connecting members are elastically deformable from a first length to a second length when forces are applied to the distal portions of the projection members.

10. The article of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the projection members moves proximally relative to the another projection member when a proximally directed force is applied to the distal portion of the at least one of the projection members, and the at least one of the projection members moves distally relative to the another projection member when the proximally directed force is removed from the distal portion of the at least one of the projection members.

11. The article of claim 1, wherein the proximal portions of the projection members extend away from the second side of the base layer and the inwardly facing surface of the upper.

12. The article of claim 1, wherein the projection members comprise a first projection member and a second projection member, the first projection member has a first length, the second projection member has a second length that different than the first length of the first projection member.

13. An article of footwear, comprising:

an upper including a forefoot region, a midfoot region, an intermediate region between the forefoot and midfoot regions, an outwardly facing surface, an inwardly facing surface opposite the outwardly facing surface, and a plurality of apertures formed in the forefoot, midfoot, and intermediate regions;

a sole structure secured to the upper; and

a projection member system including a plurality of projection members, wherein the projection members have proximal and distal portions, and the distal portions extend from the outwardly facing surface of the upper,

wherein a first projection member is disposed in a first aperture formed in the forefoot region of the upper, a second projection member is disposed in a second aperture formed in the intermediate region of the upper, and a third projection members is disposed in a third aperture formed in the midfoot region of the upper, and

wherein the first, second, and third projection members are movable in a proximal direction and a distal direction relative to the upper.

14. The article of claim 13, wherein the upper further comprises a medial side portion and a lateral side portion, and the midfoot and intermediate regions are disposed on the lateral side portion.

15. The article of claim 13, wherein the projection member system comprises a base layer, the base layer is attached to the upper, and the projection members are attached to the base layer.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein the base layer comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion is attached to the upper, the second portion can move relative to the upper, and the projection members are attached to the second portion.

17. The article of claim 15, wherein the plurality of projection members comprises first, second, and third pluralities of projection members, the first plurality of projection members is disposed in the forefoot region of the upper and includes the first projection member, the second plurality of projection members is disposed in the intermediate region of the upper and includes the second projection member, and the third plurality of projection members is disposed in the midfoot region of the upper and includes the third projection member.

18. The article of claim 16, wherein the first, second, and third projection members are independently movable in the proximal and distal directions relative to each other.

19. The article of claim 16, wherein the base layer comprises first, second, and third base layers, the first plurality of projection members are attached to the first base layer, the second plurality of projection members are attached to the second base layer, and the third plurality of projection members are attached to the third base layer.

20. The article of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first plurality of projection members extends vertically from the forefoot region of the upper, at least one of the second plurality of projection members extends laterally from the intermediate portion of the upper, and at least one of the third plurality of projection members extends laterally from the midfoot portion of the upper.