ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR WITH SOIL-SHEDDING PERFORMANCE

• US 20160058113A1
• Filed: 07/30/2015
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike Innovate C.V. (Nike, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Schiller, Denis, Baghdadi, Hossein A., Wright, Zachary C., Dyer, Caleb W., Walker, Jeremy D., Maurer, Myron
• Granted Patent: US 10,064,447 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/02 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/04 Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/122 characterised by the outsole or external layer
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/16 Pieced soles with several layers of different material A43B13/12
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/22 Soles made slip-preventing or wear-resisting, e.g. by impregnation or spreading a wear-resisting layer
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/26 projecting beyond the sole surface
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0036 characterised by a special shape or design
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 15/02 attached to the sole
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 15/16 Studs or cleats for football or like boots
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/142 Soles
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/075 Macromolecular gels
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/04 Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]

Abstract

The disclosure relates to articles of footwear and components thereof, including outsoles, which can be used in conditions normally conducive to the accumulation of soil on the outsoles. In particular, the disclosure relates to articles of footwear and components thereof including an outsole having a dispersion present on a ground facing surface of the outsole. The dispersion compositionally includes a polymeric continuous phase and a hydrophilic dispersant, and exhibits a water uptake capacity at 24 hours greater than 40% by weight. The outsoles can prevent or reduce the accumulation of soil on the footwear during wear on unpaved surfaces such as sporting fields. When the outsoles are wetted with water, the outsoles can become more compliant and/or can rapidly uptake and/or expel water, which can prevent soil from adhering to the outsole and/or can assist in shedding soil present on the outsole.

Claims

1. An outsole for an article of footwear, the outsole comprising:

a ground-facing surface of the outsole and an opposing second surface of the outsole configured to be secured to an upper for an article of footwear, wherein a dispersion is present on at least a portion of the ground facing surface of the outsole, the dispersion compositionally comprises a polymeric continuous phase and a hydrophilic dispersant, and the dispersion has a water uptake capacity at 24 hours greater than 40% by weight, as characterized by the Water Uptake Capacity Test with the Footwear Sampling Procedure.

2. The outsole of claim 1, wherein the dispersion has a water uptake capacity at 24 hours of from 100% by weight to 900% by weight.

3. The outsole of claim 1, wherein the dispersion is present on at least 80% of the ground-facing surface of the outsole.

4. The outsole of claim 1, wherein the dispersion further comprises a water-permeable membrane, and the water-permeable membrane is present on at least a portion of the ground-facing surface of the outsole.

5. The outsole of claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic dispersant is present in the dispersion in an amount of about 5% by weight to about 85% by weight, based on the total weight of the dispersion.

6. The outsole of claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic dispersant comprises one or more of a polyether, a polyacrylic acid and derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.

7. The outsole of claim 6, wherein the hydrophilic dispersant comprises a polyacrylic acid.

8. The outsole of claim 1, wherein the polymeric continuous phase comprises a polyurethane, a polyamide, a polyolefin, or combinations thereof.

9. An article of footwear comprising:

an upper for an article of footwear; and

an outsole having a first surface at least partially secured to the upper and an opposing second surface, wherein a dispersion is present on at least a portion of the second surface, the dispersion compositionally comprises a polymeric continuous phase and a hydrophilic dispersant, and the dispersion has a water uptake capacity at 24 hours ranging from 40% to 900% by weight, as characterized by the Water Uptake Capacity Test with the Footwear Sampling Procedure.

10. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein the dispersion compositionally comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane.

11. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein the dispersion compositionally comprises a thermoplastic polyamide.

12. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein the water uptake capacity of the dispersion is from 200% by weight to 500% by weight at 24 hours.

13. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein the article of footwear further comprises one or more traction elements operably secured to the second surface of the outsole.

14. The article of footwear of claim 13, wherein each of the traction elements comprises a terminal edge, and wherein the dispersion is not present on the terminal edges of any of the one or more traction elements.

15. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein the polymeric continuous phase compositionally comprises a covalently crosslinked polymer.

16. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear, the method comprising:

providing an outsole having a ground-facing surface and an opposing second surface configured to be secured to an upper for an article of footwear, wherein a dispersion is present on at least a portion of the ground facing surface of the outsole, the dispersion compositionally comprises a polymeric continuous phase and a hydrophilic dispersant, and the dispersion has a water uptake capacity at 24 hours greater than 40% by weight, as characterized by the Water Uptake Capacity Test with the Footwear Sampling Procedure; and

securing the opposing second surface of the outsole to an upper.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the water uptake capacity of the dispersion is greater than 40% by weight at 1 hour.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the dispersion compositionally comprises a polyurethane.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the dispersion has a dry-state thickness ranging from 0.1 millimeters to 1 millimeter.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising securing one or more traction elements to the outsole.