Upper with sensory feedback

• US 9,585,434 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2014
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Van Atta, Dylan S., Smaldone, Patricia L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mohandesi, Jila M
• Application Number:
  US14/554,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20160143395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 361/33
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 disposed on a base layer which is attached to an upper of an article of footwear. When the upper encounters a surface of an object, the projection members and base layer 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 the outer surface of the upper.

Claims

1. An article of footwear, comprising:

an upper having an outwardly facing surface, and an inwardly facing surface opposite the outwardly facing surface, wherein the upper further includes a first aperture;

a sole structure secured to the upper;

a projection member system including a base layer and a first projection member;

wherein the base layer comprises a peripheral portion extending around a perimeter of the first base, and an interior portion surrounded by the peripheral portion, wherein the base layer further includes a first side, and a second side opposite the first side, wherein the first projection member is integrally formed with the base layer;

wherein the first projection member has a distal projecting portion that extends away from the first side and a proximal projecting portion that extends away from the second side;

wherein the distal projecting portion is disposed in the first aperture extending distally away from the outwardly facing surface of the upper;

wherein the peripheral portion of the base layer is attached to the upper;

wherein the projection member system has a first configuration where a proximal end of the first projection member is disposed a first distance from the inwardly facing surface of the upper, and a second configuration where the proximal end of the first projection member is disposed a second distance from the inwardly facing surface of the upper, and the second distance being greater than the first distance;

wherein the peripheral portion of the base layer contacts the inwardly facing surface in the first configuration and the second configuration;

wherein the interior portion of the base layer moves further from the inwardly facing surface when moving from the first configuration to the the second configuration.

2. The article according to claim 1, wherein the base layer includes a second projection member integrally formed with the base layer and wherein the upper further includes a second aperture spaced apart from the first aperture;

wherein the second projection member has a distal projecting portion that extends away from the first side and a proximal projecting portion that extends away from the second side; and

wherein the distal projecting portion of the second projection member is disposed in the second aperture extending distally away from the outwardly facing surface of the upper.

3. The article according to claim 2, wherein a proximal end of the second projection member is disposed a third distance from the inwardly facing surface of the upper in the first configuration, and a fourth distance from the inwardly facing surface of the upper in the second configuration.

4. The article according to claim 3, wherein the third distance is substantially equal to the first distance.

5. The article according to claim 3, wherein the fourth distance is substantially different than the second distance.

6. The article according to claim 1, wherein the first projection member has a first length and the second projection member has a second length, and the first length and the second length are substantially different.

7. An article of footwear, comprising:

an upper having an outwardly facing surface, and an inwardly facing surface opposite the outwardly facing surface, the upper further including a first aperture;

a sole structure secured to the upper;

a projection member system including a base layer;

the base layer comprising a peripheral portion and an interior portion disposed inwardly of the peripheral portion, wherein the base layer also includes a first side and a second side opposite the first side;

the projection member system also including a first projection member, the first projection member including a proximal end and a distal end;

wherein the projection member system includes a first connecting portion, wherein the first connecting portion includes a first connecting end attached to the base layer and wherein the first connecting portion includes a second connecting end attached to the first projection member, wherein the second connecting end is attached to the first projection member between the proximal end and the distal end;

wherein the first connecting portion includes an intermediate connecting portion that is disposed between the first connecting end and the second connecting end;

wherein a portion of the first projection member including the distal end is disposed through the first aperture;

wherein the first side of the base layer is fixed to the inwardly facing surface of the upper and wherein the intermediate connecting portion of the first connecting portion is capable of moving relative to the inwardly facing surface; and

wherein the first projection member can be displaced in a proximal direction when a force is applied to the distal end of the first projection member.

8. The article according to claim 7, wherein the first connecting portion stretches relative to the inwardly facing surface when the first projection member is displaced in the proximal direction.

9. The article according to claim 7, wherein the projection member system further includes a second projection member and a second connecting portion;

wherein the second projection member includes a proximal end and a distal end.

10. The article according to claim 9, wherein the second connecting portion includes a third connecting end attached to the base layer and wherein the second connecting portion includes a fourth connecting end attached to the second projection member, wherein the fourth connecting end is attached to the second projection member between the proximal end and the distal end.

11. The article according to claim 10, wherein the second projection member can be displaced in the proximal direction when a force is applied to the distal end of the second projection member.

12. The article according to claim 11, wherein the first projection member moves independently of the second projection member when a force is applied to the distal end of the first projection member.

13. The article according to claim 7, wherein the first connecting portion has a curved sidewall extending three-hundred-sixty degrees around the first projection member.

14. An article of footwear, comprising:

an upper having an outwardly facing surface, an inwardly facing surface opposite the outwardly facing surface, wherein the inwardly facing surface faces an interior of the upper and the upper further includes an aperture;

a sole structure secured to the upper;

a projection member system comprising a projection member including;

a proximal projecting portion extending toward the interior of the upper and having a proximal end; and

a distal projecting member extending through the aperture in a direction opposite the proximal projecting portion, wherein the distal projecting portion has a distal end;

a base layer, wherein the distal projecting portion extends away from a first side of the base layer and the proximal projecting portion extends away from a second side of the base layer that is opposite the first side;

wherein the projection member is configured to retract towards an interior of the upper such that the proximal end is displaced toward the interior of the upper when a force is applied to the distal end; and

wherein the proximal end is configured to contact a foot when the projection member retracts toward the interior of the upper, thereby alerting a wearer of the article of footwear to the force applied at the distal end.

15. The article according to claim 14, wherein the projection member is made from a polymer material and wherein the projection member system has a first configuration where a proximal end of the first projection member is disposed a first distance from the inwardly facing surface of the upper, and a second configuration where the proximal end of the first projection member is disposed a second distance from the inwardly facing surface of the upper, and the second distance being greater than the first distance.

16. The article according to claim 15, wherein the base layer further comprises a peripheral portion extending around a perimeter of the first base and an interior portion surrounded by the peripheral portion, and wherein the peripheral portion of the base layer contacts the inwardly facing surface in the first configuration and the second configuration.

17. The article according to claim 14, wherein the projection. member is configured to retract towards the exterior of the upper after the force is removed from the distal end.

18. The article according to claim 16, wherein the interior portion of the base layer contacts the inwardly facing surface in the first configuration.

19. The article according to claim 14, wherein the interior portion is spaced apart from the inwardly facing surface in the second configuration.