Article of footwear incorporating tensile strands and securing strands

• US 9,420,850 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2015
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Dojan, Frederick J., Huang, Chin-Chen, Meschter, James C., Uesato, Lia
• Primary Examiner(s): Kavanaugh, Ted
• Application Number:
  US14/707,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20150272275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 36/45
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/025 assembled by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0265 having different properties in different directions
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/14 with foot-supporting parts
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 1/00 Shoe lacing fastenings garment fastening devices A41F

Abstract

An article of footwear may have a sole structure and an upper that includes a foundation element, a tensile strand, and a securing strand. The tensile strand is located adjacent to an exterior surface of the foundation element and substantially parallel to the exterior surface for a distance of at least five centimeters. The securing strand joins or secures the tensile strand to the foundation element. Although the thicknesses may vary, a thickness of the tensile strand may be at least three times the thickness of the securing strand. In some configurations, a backing strand may also assist with joining the securing strand to the foundation element.

Claims

1. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper comprising:

a foundation element having an interior surface and an opposite exterior surface, the interior surface defining at least a portion of a void within the upper for receiving a foot of a wearer;

the foundation element including;

(i) a lace area located near a top of the upper, the lace area including at least one lace aperture, and (ii) a lower area where the sole structure is joined to the upper located near a bottom of the upper;

a first strand located adjacent to the exterior surface and substantially parallel to the exterior surface for a distance of at least five centimeters, the first strand having a first thickness; and

a second strand joined to the foundation element at a plurality of locations on opposite sides of the first strand and along the distance of at least five centimeters to secure the first strand to the foundation element, the first strand being positioned between the foundation element and the second strand;

wherein the first strand extends substantially along at least a portion of a longitudinal length of the upper in a direction between a forefoot region and a heel region of the article of footwear;

wherein the second strand is joined to the foundation element at the plurality of locations on opposite sides of the first strand following along the at least the portion of the longitudinal length of the upper as the first strand; and

wherein the first strand and the second strand are disposed between and spaced apart from both the lace area near the top of the upper and the lower area where the sole structure is joined to the upper near the bottom of the upper such that the first strand remains non-intersecting with the to and bottom of the upper.

2. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first strand is disposed in at least a midfoot region of the article of footwear.

3. The article of footwear according to claim 2, wherein the first strand is disposed in each of a portion of the heel region, the midfoot region, and the forefoot region of the article of footwear.

4. The article of footwear according to claim 3, wherein the first strand extends continuously along an entirety of the longitudinal length of the article of footwear between the forefoot region and the heel region.

5. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first strand has a first thickness, the second strand has a second thickness, and the first thickness is at least three times the second thickness.

6. The article of footwear according to claim 1, further comprising a group of tensile strands extending diagonally through the heel region adjacent to the exterior surface of the foundation element, the group of tensile strands being secured to the foundation element by the second strand.

7. The article of footwear according to claim 1, further comprising at least one tensile strand located adjacent to the exterior surface of the foundation element and extending between the at least one lace aperture and the lower area where the sole structure is joined to the upper, the at least one tensile strand being secured to the foundation element by the second strand.

8. The article of footwear according to claim 7, wherein the foundation element includes a plurality of lace apertures in the lace area;

and

wherein the at least one tensile strand comprises a plurality of tensile strands that extend from each of the plurality of lace apertures in the lace area to the lower area where the sole structure is joined to the upper, the plurality of tensile strands each being secured to the foundation element by the second strand.

9. The article of footwear according to claim 7, wherein the at least one tensile strand crosses the first strand.

10. The article of footwear according to claim 7, further comprising a group of tensile strands extending diagonally through the heel region adjacent to the exterior surface of the foundation element, the group of tensile strands being secured to the foundation element by the second strand.

11. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first strand comprises at least two strands that extend substantially along the at least the portion of the longitudinal length of the upper in the direction between the forefoot region and the heel region of the article of footwear.

12. The article of footwear according to claim 11, wherein the second strand is joined to the foundation element at a plurality of locations on opposite sides of each of the at least two strands following along the at least the portion of the longitudinal length of the upper as the at least two strands.

13. The article of footwear according to claim 11, wherein the at least two strands are each spaced apart from each other.

14. The article of footwear according to claim 11, wherein the at least two strands are substantially parallel to each other along the at least the portion of the longitudinal length of the upper.