Components for articles of footwear including lightweight, selectively supported textile components

• US 9,872,537 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2014
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Meschter, Jay, Kilgore, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley, Shaun R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Bao-Thieu L
• Application Number:
  US14/247,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20150282564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: 361177, 36127, 36 49, 36 45, 36 501
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/04 braided, knotted, knitted or crocheted
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0235 Different layers of different material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0255 assembled by gluing or thermo bonding
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0275 with a part of the upper particularly rigid, e.g. resisting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/042 Uppers made of one piece one piece slippers A43B3/106; one piece sandals A43B3/124
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/227 fixed on the outside of the shoe
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1495 with arch-supports of the bracelet type
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 25/00 Devices for gluing shoe parts
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 25/20 Arrangements for activating or for accelerating setting of adhesives, e.g. by using heat

Abstract

Footwear components are made from lightweight textile structures (e.g., including circular knitted structures made from natural or synthetic fibers, such as socks or sock-type structures). The textile structures are selectively supported at various areas to provide desired local characteristics. Additional aspects relate to methods of making such components, precursors to such components, and articles of footwear containing such components.

Claims

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

an upper base member, wherein the upper base member constitutes a circular knitted body having a seamless plantar support surface that is adapted to form a support for at least a portion of a plantar surface of a wearer'"'"'s foot, and wherein the upper base member extends continuously around a lateral, midfoot side edge and a medial, and midfoot side edge of the upper base member; and

a first support member engaged with an exterior surface of the upper base member by a bonding or adhesive material, wherein the first support member extends continuously around the lateral, midfoot side edge of the upper base member, across the plantar support surface, and around the medial midfoot side edge of the upper base member;

wherein the first support member includes a first inelastic band, strap, or strand for supporting a lace extending along a lateral, midfoot side of the upper base member and a second inelastic band, strap, or strand for support the lace extending along a medial, midfoot side of the upper base member, wherein the first and second inelastic band, strap, or strand includes a loop structure extending beyond the first support member, and wherein the lace is threaded through the loop structure of the first and second inelastic band, strap, or strand;

wherein the first inelastic band, strap, or strand is interlooped with the second inelastic band, strap, or strand beneath the plantar support surface of the upper base member.

2. An upper according to claim 1, wherein the upper base member is a sock.

3. An upper according to claim 1, wherein the first support member includes an outsole component.

4. An upper according to claim 1, wherein the first support member includes a lateral side structure for supporting a lace and a medial side structure for supporting the lace.

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

an upper base member, wherein the upper base member constitutes a circular knitted body having a seamless plantar support surface is adapted to form a support for at least a portion of a plantar surface of a wearer'"'"'s foot, and wherein the upper base member extends continuously around a lateral, midfoot side edge and a medial, midfoot side edge of the upper base member;

a first support member engaged with an exterior surface of the upper base member by a bonding or adhesive material, wherein the first support member extends continuously around the lateral, midfoot side edge of the upper base member and along a lateral, midfoot side portion of the plantar support surface; and

a second support member engaged with the exterior surface of the upper base member by a bonding or adhesive material, wherein the second support member extends continuously around the medial, midfoot side edge of the upper base member and along a medial, midfoot side portion of the plantar support surface, wherein the second support member is separate from the first support member, and wherein a portion of the second support member is separated from a portion of the first support member by a distance of less than 1 inch at a midfoot area of the plantar support surface of the upper base member;

wherein the first support member includes a first inelastic band, strap, or strand for supporting a lace extending along a lateral, midfoot side of the upper base member and a second inelastic band, strap, or strand for support the lace extending along a medial, midfoot side of the upper base member, wherein the first and second inelastic band, strap, or strand includes a loop structure extending beyond the first support member, and wherein the lace is threaded through the loop structure of the first and second inelastic band, strap, or strand;

wherein the first inelastic band, strap, or strand is interlooped with the second inelastic band, strap, or strand beneath the plantar support surface of the upper base member.

6. An upper according to claim 5, wherein the upper base member is a sock.

7. An upper according to claim 5, wherein the first support member includes a lateral side structure for supporting a lace, and wherein the second support member includes a medial side structure for supporting the lace.

8. An upper according to claim 5, wherein the portion of the second support member is separated from the portion of the first support member by a distance of less than ½

inch at the midfoot area of the plantar support surface of the upper base member.