Article of footwear with dynamic support

• US 9,380,834 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2014
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley, Shaun R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Bao-Thieu L
• Application Number:
  US14/258,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20150296922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 36/68, 36/45, 36/501, 36/53, 36/56, 36/88, 36/97, 361/12, 361/07, 36/93, 361/00, 361/01, 36113-116, 361/171, 361/176, 361/177, 361/181, 361/185, 361/186, 361/36, 36/3.A, 36/71, 36/505, 36/49, 219/52, 2/217
• 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 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 diamond-shaped tiles;

the array of diamond-shaped tiles including a plurality of rows of tiles and a plurality of columns of tiles;

the array of diamond-shaped tiles being embedded in the upper with a plurality of cables laced through the vertices of the diamond-shaped tiles and through alternate columns or alternate rows 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 plurality of cables 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 diamond-shaped 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 diamond-shaped tiles or to rotate the reel in the second direction to loosen the array of diamond-shaped 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 diamond-shaped tiles includes a first diamond-shaped tile, the first diamond-shaped tile including a passageway, and wherein a first cable of the plurality of cables is laced through the passageway.

7. The article of footwear of claim 6, wherein the first diamond-shaped tile includes a second passageway, and wherein a second cable of the plurality of cables is laced through the second passageway.

8. The article of footwear of claim 6, wherein a second cable of the plurality of cables passes along the first diamond-shaped tile, between the first diamond-shaped tile and a layer of the upper.

9. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cables is laced through alternate columns of tiles and alternate rows of tiles.

10. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the array of diamond-shaped tiles are held in place between an outer layer of the upper and an inner layer of the upper.

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; and

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.

12. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein the array of tiles includes a first tile, the first including a passageway, and wherein a first cable of the plurality of cables is laced through the passageway.

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. 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 between an outer layer of fabric and an inner layer of fabric;

the array of tiles including a first tile and a second tile;

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;

a cable of the plurality of cables being secured to the first tile and the cable traversing through a passageway in the second tile;

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;

wherein when the reel rotates to compress the array of tiles, the cable pulls the first tile toward the second tile such that the first tile abuts the second tile.

18. The article of footwear according to claim 17, 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.

19. The article of footwear according to claim 17, wherein the array of tiles comprises columns and rows of tiles and wherein the plurality of cables includes a plurality of horizontal cables that extend along the rows of tiles and a plurality of vertical cables that extend along the columns of tiles, wherein at least one tile of the array of tiles has a vertical cable that passes through the at least one tile and also has a horizontal cable that passes through the at least one tile.

20. The article of footwear according to claim 17, wherein the array of tiles is an array of diamond-shaped tiles, and the plurality of cables are laced through the vertices of the diamond-shaped tiles.

21. The article of footwear according to claim 20, wherein the plurality of cables is laced through alternate columns and alternate rows of tiles.