Shoe with composite upper and method of making the same

• US 9,723,895 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2012
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, YongSeon, Williams, Jr., Robert C., Yang, JongHoon, Schaefer, Emily B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Prange, Sharon M
• Application Number:
  US13/467,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20120297642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: 36 3 A, 36 45, 36 47, 36 98
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0027 made at least partially from a material having special colours
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0072 made at least partially of transparent or translucent materials
• 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: B32B 27/12 next to a fibrous or filamentary layer

Abstract

Uppers for article of footwear may include one or more skin layers attached to a base layer, wherein the skin layers overlap with one another in varying ways (e.g., with a first skin layer overlaying a second skin layer at some locations and the second skin layer overlaying the first skin layer at other locations). If desired, at least one of the skin layers may be at least partially transparent or translucent. The skin layer(s) may be applied over other elements of the upper (e.g., other skin layers, base layers, reinforcing layers, etc.). Additional aspects of this invention relate to production of curved tongue composite structures and/or footwear having a bonded (hot melt) side seam for forming the upper (and optionally do not include a rear heel seam).

Claims

1. An upper for an article of footwear, comprising:

a base layer;

a first skin layer partially covering the base layer, wherein the first skin layer includes;

(1) a thermoset polyurethane material or a thermoplastic polyurethane material and (2) a hot melt material; and

a second skin layer partially covering the base layer, wherein the second skin layer includes;

(1) a thermoset polyurethane material or a thermoplastic polyurethane material and (2) a hot melt material,

wherein;

(a) at a first portion of the upper, the first skin layer;

(1) directly contacts and is fuse bonded to the base layer by the hot melt material of the first skin layer and (2) is covered by and fuse bonded to the second skin layer by the hot melt material of the second skin layer, and

(b) at a second portion of the upper, the second skin layer;

(1) directly contacts and is fuse bonded to the base layer by the hot melt material of the second skin layer and (2) is covered by and fuse bonded to the first skin layer by the hot melt material of the first skin layer.

2. An upper according to claim 1, wherein the base layer includes a mesh material layer.

3. An upper according to claim 1, wherein the base layer includes a support layer and a mesh layer at least partially overlapping the support layer, wherein the first skin layer directly contacts and is bonded to the mesh layer at the first portion of the upper by the hot melt material of the first skin layer and the second skin layer directly contacts and is bonded to the mesh layer at the second portion of the upper by the hot melt material of the second skin layer.

4. An upper according to claim 3, wherein the support layer includes a thermoplastic polyurethane material.

5. An upper according to claim 3, wherein the support layer includes a synthetic leather material.

6. An upper according to claim 1, wherein the base layer includes a thermoplastic polyurethane material.

7. An upper according to claim 1, wherein the base layer includes a synthetic leather material.

8. An upper according to claim 1, wherein:

at a third portion of the upper, the first skin layer directly contacts and is fused bonded to the base layer by the hot melt material of the first skin layer and the second skin layer is absent;

at a fourth portion of the upper, the second skin layer directly contacts and is fuse bonded to the base layer by the hot melt material of the second skin layer and the first skin layer is absent; and

at a fifth portion of the upper, the base layer is exposed and uncovered by the first skin layer and the second skin layer.

9. An upper according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reinforcement material located between the base layer and at least one of the first skin layer or the second skin layer.

10. An upper according to claim 9, wherein the reinforcement material is located along an instep opening to provide reinforcement for one or more lace eye stays.

11. An upper according to claim 9, wherein the reinforcement material is located at a toe area of the upper.

12. An upper according to claim 9, wherein the reinforcement material is located at a rear heel area of the upper.

13. An upper according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first reinforcement material located between the base layer and at least one of the first skin layer or the second skin layer, wherein the first reinforcement material is located along a first side of an instep opening to provide reinforcement for one or more lace eye stays on the first side of the instep opening; and

a second reinforcement material located between the base layer and at least one of the first skin layer or the second skin layer, wherein the second reinforcement material is located along a second side of the instep opening to provide reinforcement for one or more lace eye stays on the second side of the instep opening.

14. An upper according to claim 13, wherein the first skin layer has a first color and the second skin layer has a second color that is different from the first skin color.

15. An upper according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first reinforcement material located between the base layer and at least one of the first skin layer or the second skin layer, wherein the first reinforcement material is located along a first side of an instep opening to provide reinforcement for one or more lace eye stays on the first side of the instep opening; and

a second reinforcement material located between the base layer and at least one of the first skin layer or the second skin layer, wherein the second reinforcement material is located along a second side of the instep opening to provide reinforcement for one or more lace eye stays on the second side of the instep opening,

wherein the base layer includes a support layer and a mesh layer at least partially overlapping the support layer, wherein the first skin layer directly contacts and is fused bonded to the mesh layer at the first portion of the upper by the hot melt material of the first skin layer and the second skin layer directly contacts and is fused bonded to the mesh layer at the second portion of the upper by the hot melt material of the second skin layer.

16. An upper according to claim 15, wherein the first skin layer has a first color and the second skin layer has a second color that is different from the first skin color.

29. An article of footwear, comprising:

an upper according to claim 1; and

a sole structure engaged with the upper.

31. A method of making an article of footwear, comprising:

providing an upper having a structure according to claim 1; and

engaging the upper with a sole structure.

17. A method of making an upper for an article of footwear, comprising:

applying a first skin layer to partially overlap a base layer, wherein the first skin layer includes;

(1) a thermoset polyurethane material or a thermoplastic polyurethane material and (2) a hot melt material; and

applying a second skin layer to partially overlap the base layer, wherein the second skin layer includes;

(1) a thermoset polyurethane material or a thermoplastic polyurethane material and (2) a hot melt material, wherein the first and second skin layers are applied such that;

(a) at a first portion of the upper, the first skin layer;

(1) directly contacts and is fused bonded to the base layer by the hot melt material of the first skin layer and (2) is covered by and fuse bonded to the second skin layer by the hot melt material of the second skin layer, and

(b) at a second portion of the upper, the second skin layer;

(1) directly contacts and is fuse bonded to the base layer by the hot melt material of the second skin layer and (2) is covered by and fuse bonded to the first skin layer by the hot melt material of the first skin layer.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the steps of applying the first skin layer and applying the second skin layer include:

applying heat and pressure to the first skin layer, the second skin layer, and the base layer to fuse bond the first skin layer to the base layer and to the second skin layer by the hot melt material of the first skin layer and to fuse bond the second skin layer to the base layer and to the first skin layer by the hot melt material of the second skin layer.

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein the base layer includes a mesh layer.

20. A method according to claim 17, wherein the base layer includes a support layer and a mesh layer at least partially overlapping the support layer, wherein the first skin layer is applied so as to directly contact and bond to the mesh layer at the first portion of the upper and the second skin layer is applied so as to directly contact and bond to the mesh layer at the second portion of the upper.

21. A method according to claim 17, wherein the base layer includes a thermoplastic polyurethane material.

22. A method according to claim 17, wherein the base layer includes a synthetic leather material.

23. A method according to claim 17, wherein:

at a third portion of the upper, the first skin layer directly contacts and is fuse bonded to the base layer by the hot melt material of the first skin layer and the second skin layer is absent;

at a fourth portion of the upper, the second skin layer directly contacts and is fuse bonded to the base layer by the hot melt material of the second skin layer and the first skin layer is absent, and at a fifth portion of the upper, the base layer is exposed and uncovered by the first skin layer and the second skin layer.

24. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

engaging a reinforcement material between the base layer and at least one of the first skin layer or the second skin layer.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the reinforcement material is engaged at a location along an instep opening to provide reinforcement for one or more lace eye stays.

26. A method according to claim 24, wherein the reinforcement material is engaged at a toe area location of the upper.

27. A method according to claim 24, wherein the reinforcement material is engaged at a rear heel area location of the upper.

28. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

engaging a first reinforcement material between the base layer and at least one of the first skin layer or the second skin layer, wherein the first reinforcement material is located along a first side of an instep opening; and

engaging a second reinforcement material between the base layer and at least one of the first skin layer or the second skin layer, wherein the second reinforcement material is located along a second side of the instep opening.

30. A method of making an article of footwear, comprising:

making an upper according to claim 17; and

engaging the upper with a sole structure.