FOOTWEAR WITH SEGMENTED PLATE

Abstract

An article of footwear includes an outsole, an upper coupled to the outsole, a midsole arranged on the outsole, and a segmented support plate positioned between the outsole and the midsole. The segmented support plate includes a plurality of segments including (i) a first segment having a longitudinal dimension that is greater than a lateral dimension of the first segment, and (ii) a second segment having a longitudinal dimension that is less than a lateral dimension of the second segment.

Description

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to articles of footwear and particularly support plates positioned on the sole of the article of footwear.

COPYRIGHT

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND

It is known in the field of footwear to include a support plate, also known as a “shank,” at a central location on a sole in order to provide support for the foot of the wearer. While a shank is useful to provide support for the foot of a wearer, conventional shanks limit the amount of flexure available to the sole of the article of footwear. Accordingly, for athletic applications wherein significant flexure of the foot is desired, a shank is often not favored. Nevertheless, athletes and other users participating in athletic activities typically desire significant support for their feet. In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide an article of footwear that is capable of providing significant support to the foot of the wearer while still offering significant flexure in the sole.

SUMMARY

An article of footwear is disclosed herein defining a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction. The article of footwear includes an outsole, an upper coupled to the outsole, and a midsole arranged on the outsole. Together, the upper and the midsole define a foot cavity. The article of footwear further includes a series of support plates positioned between the outsole and the midsole. The series of support plates includes at least a first plate, a second plate and a third plate, each of the support plates extending at least a first lateral dimension defined along the lateral direction from a medial side to a lateral side of the article of footwear and at least a first longitudinal dimension defined along the longitudinal direction. Each of the support plates is separated by at least a longitudinal separation distance that is less than the first longitudinal dimension.

In at least one embodiment disclosed herein, an article of footwear includes an outsole, an upper coupled to the outsole, a midsole arranged on the outsole, and a segmented support plate positioned between the outsole and the midsole. The segmented support plate includes a plurality of segments including (i) a first segment having a longitudinal dimension that is greater than a lateral dimension of the first segment, and (ii) a second segment having a longitudinal dimension that is less than a lateral dimension of the second segment.

In at least one embodiment disclosed herein, an article of footwear comprises an outsole, an upper coupled to the outsole, a midsole arranged on the outsole, and a series of support plates positioned between the outsole and the midsole. The series of support plates includes (i) a first plate defining a first longitudinal dimension, (ii) a second plate defining a second longitudinal dimension and separated from the first plate, and (iii) a third plate defining a third longitudinal dimension and separated from the first plate and the second plate, wherein the first longitudinal dimension is greater than the sum of the second longitudinal dimension and the third longitudinal dimension.

The above described features and advantages, as well as others, will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. While it would be desirable to provide an article of footwear that provides one or more of these or other advantageous features as may be apparent to those reviewing this disclosure, the teachings disclosed herein extend to those embodiments which fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they include or accomplish one or more of the advantages or features mentioned herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of an article of footwear including a series of support plates positioned between an outsole and a midsole;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the article of footwear of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a top view of the series of support plates for the article of footwear of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a side perspective view of the series of support plates of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 shows a bottom view of the article of footwear of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying figures which form a part hereof wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout, and in which is shown, by way of illustration, embodiments that may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of embodiments is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Aspects of the disclosure are disclosed in the accompanying description. Alternate embodiments of the present disclosure and their equivalents may be devised without parting from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. It should be noted that any discussion herein regarding “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “an exemplary embodiment”, and the like indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, and that such particular feature, structure, or characteristic may not necessarily be included in every embodiment. In addition, references to the foregoing do not necessarily comprise a reference to the same embodiment. Finally, irrespective of whether it is explicitly described, one of ordinary skill in the art would readily appreciate that each of the particular features, structures, or characteristics of the given embodiments may be utilized in connection or combination with those of any other embodiment discussed herein.

Various operations may be described as multiple discrete actions or operations in turn, in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the claimed subject matter. However, the order of description should not be construed as to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. In particular, these operations may not be per-formed in the order of presentation. Operations described may be performed in a different order than the described embodiment. Various additional operations may be performed and/or described operations may be omitted in additional embodiments.

For the purposes of the present disclosure, the phrase “A and/or B” means (A), (B), or (A and B). For the purposes of the present disclosure, the phrase “A, B, and/or C” means (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B and C).

The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like, as used with respect to embodiments of the present disclosure, are synonymous.

With reference now to FIGS. 1 and 2, an article of footwear 10 includes an upper 22 coupled to a sole structure 30. The sole structure 30 comprises an outsole 32, a midsole 42, and a series of support plates 50. The series of support plates 50 are positioned between the outsole 32 and the midsole 42 and are configured to provide support for the foot of a wearer. As described in further detail herein, the series of support plates 50 advantageously provide lateral and medial support for the foot of a wearer of the article of footwear 10 while allowing for significant flexure of the foot in a midsole region and toe region of the article of footwear.

The article footwear 10 defines a longitudinal direction (identified along axis l in FIG. 2), a lateral direction (identified by axis w in FIG. 2), and a vertical direction (identified by axis v in FIG. 2). The longitudinal direction l generally extends between a posterior to an anterior of the article of footwear 10, e.g., from a heel region 12, through a midsole region 14, and to a toe region 16 of the article of footwear 10. The lateral direction w generally extends between a left and right sides of the article of footwear 10, e.g., between a lateral side 18 and a medial side 20. The vertical direction v generally extends in the upright direction of the shoe when it is worn by a user and the outsole 32 is positioned on the ground. Various components of the article of footwear 10 are described herein with specific reference or general inference to these directions/axes.

With continued reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper 22 of the article of footwear includes a forefoot portion 24 (or “vamp”), a midfoot portion 26 formed of medial quarter and lateral quarter, and a heel portion 28. The upper 22 further includes an opening to the foot cavity on the top side of the upper that extends from the midfoot portion 26 to the heel portion 28. The forefoot portion 24 of the upper 22 completely encloses a toe region of the article of footwear. Accordingly, the forefoot portion 24 forms a toe cage that extends from a medial side of the shoe, across an upper stretch on the dorsal side of the shoe, and then to a lateral side of the shoe. The midfoot portion 26 of the upper 22 extends between the forefoot portion 24 and the heel portion 28, and includes a medial side wall and a lateral side wall. A U-shaped tongue slot separates the medial side wall from the lateral side wall. The heel portion 28 of the upper 22 extends rearward from the midfoot portion 26, curving around the heel region 12 of the article of footwear 10. The upper 22 may be comprised of any of various materials typically used in association with the upper of an article of footwear. Such materials include, for example, nylon, polyester, leather, synthetic leather, or any of various other materials.

The outsole 32 of the article of footwear 10 is a durable, wear-resistant and abrasion-resistant component configured to attenuate forces under load by cushioning and stabilizing the foot during use, and by providing cushioning as the article footwear 10 impacts the ground. The sole structure 30 of the article of footwear (which may also be referred to as simply the “sole”) may be similar to any of various conventional sole structures known to those of skill in the art. In the embodiment disclosed herein, the sole structure 30 includes an outsole 32 with a distinguished midsole 42. However, in other embodiments the midsole and outsole may be provided by a unitary/monolithic structure (e.g., a singular molded structure). The sole structure 30, including the outsole 32 and the midsole 42 may be formed of a single material, or of multiple materials, including any of various materials commonly used for such components such as TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) or EVA foam (ethylene vinyl acetate). In at least one embodiment, the outsole 32 and/or midsole 42 are comprised of a foamed reaction product of an olefin block copolymer, a silicone polymer, a blowing agent, and a crosslinking agent. In such embodiment, the wear characteristics of the outsole 32 are of such high quality that additional rubber or other material is not required on the bottom surface of the outsole.

As best illustrated in FIG. 1, the outsole 32 includes a first, upper- or midsole-facing side 34 (which may also be referred to as a “top side”) and a second, ground-facing side 36 (which may also be referred to as a “bottom side”). The exterior surface of the sole structure 30 (including the bottom side 36) may be textured to provide a friction-enhancing surface to the sole. The top side 34 may possess a generally smooth and planum upper surface that is surrounded by a gently curved rim or perimeter wall that provides an upper perimeter for the outsole 32. A hole 35 is formed in the outsole 32 and provides a passage from the bottom side 34 to the top side 36 of the outsole 32. A recess 38 is formed in the upper surface on the top side 34 of the outsole. The recess 38 is defined within a perimeter that is slightly larger than the perimeter of the support plates 50. Accordingly, as described in further detail herein, the recess 38 is configured to receive each of the support plates 50 therein and properly orient the support plates 50 within the recess 38. The hole 35 is positioned in a central portion of the recess 38 such that the support plates are visible through the bottom side 36 of the outsole 32 (see FIG. 5).

With continued reference to FIG. 1, the midsole 42 is designed and dimensioned to rest upon the top side 34 of the outsole 32. Similar to the outsole 32, the midsole 42 also includes a first, upper- or foot-facing side 44 (which may also be referred to as a “top side”) and a second, outsole-facing side 46 (which may also be referred to as a “bottom side”). The top side 44 may possess a generally smooth and planum surface that is surrounded by a gently curved rim or perimeter wall that defines an upper perimeter for the midsole 42. The planum surface of the midsole provides a footbed for a foot cavity 40 defined within the confines of the upper 22 and the midsole 42. An insole 48 is configured to rest within the foot cavity 40 on the planum surface along the top side 44 of the midsole 42.

The series of support plates 50 includes four different support plates in the embodiment disclosed herein, including a rearmost support plate 60, an intermediate rear support plate 70, an intermediate front support plate 80, and a frontmost support plate 90. As described in further detail below, each of these support plates 60, 70, 80, 90 is a generally flat member having a rectangular shape. Each support plate is relatively thin in height and includes a generally smooth and continuous outer perimeter that borders a generally smooth and planum upper and lower surface. Each support plate 60, 70, 80, 90 in the series of support plates 50 is separated from one or more adjacent support plates by a longitudinal separation distance (see d1, d2 and d3 shown in FIG. 3). Each support plate 60, 70, 80, 90 is comprised of a relatively rigid material in comparison to the material of the sole structure 30. For example, each support plate may be formed from a sheet of carbon fiber or a sheet of metal material, such as steel, titanium or other metal material having a uniform thickness. While each of the support plates 60, 70, 80, and 90 in the series of support plates 50 is described herein as being a plate that is completely separated from at least one adjacent support plate, the series of support plates 50 may alternatively be considered a singular “segmented” support plate that has been divided into multiple sections with no connection between different sections of the segmented plate, or only a limited connection between the different sections of the segmented support plate (e.g., via a thin tether extending between adjacent support plates).

With particular reference now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the rearmost support plate 60 in the series of support plates 50 has a generally rectangular shape with a perimeter defined by a straight rear edge 62 and a straight front edge 64, a slightly curved/concave medial edge 66, and a slightly curved/concave lateral edge 68. The straight rear edge 62 is slightly shorter in length than the straight front edge 64. For example, the length of the rear edge 62 may be 60-80% of the length of the front edge 64. The medial edge 66 and lateral edge 68 extend between opposing sides of the rear edge 62 and the front edge 64. Because of the differing lengths of the rear edge 62 and the front edge 64, the resulting shape of the rearmost support plate 60 may be considered to be trapezoidal. In at least one embodiment, the rear edge 62 is between 3 cm and 6 cm in length and the front edge 64 is between 5 cm and 10 cm in length. The distance between the rear edge 62 and the front edge 64 is between 7 cm and 14 cm in length. In such embodiments, the rearmost support plate 60 defines a greatest lateral dimension along the lateral direction that is less than a greatest longitudinal dimension defined along the longitudinal direction of the plate 60. Also, as particularly shown in FIG. 4, the thickness, t, of the plate 60 is significantly less than either the lateral dimension or the longitudinal dimension and is generally less than 5 mm, e.g., between 1 mm and 3 mm.

The rearmost support plate 60 is configured to fit neatly and/or snugly within the recess 38 on the top side 34 of the outsole 32. The straight rear edge abuts a rear edge of the recess 38 and the support plate 60 extends forward toward a front edge of the recess. Accordingly the rear perimeter of the recess 38 provides an orientation guide for proper positioning of the rearmost support plate on the outsole 32. The rearmost support plate 60 is generally positioned in a midsole region 14 of the outsole 32 that is forward of the heel region 12 (which may also be referred to herein as a “heel end”) and rearward of the toe region 16 (which may also be referred to herein as a “toe end”). In at least one embodiment, the rearmost support plate 60 is located at a position in the midsole region 14 that is closer to the heel region 12 than the toe region 16. As noted in FIG. 1, when the midsole 42 is positioned on the outsole 32, the rearmost support plate 60 is sandwiched between the outsole 32 and the midsole 42 within the sole structure 30.

With reference again to FIGS. 3 and 4, the intermediate rear support plate 70 is positioned forward from the rearmost support plate within the recess 38 on the top side 34 outsole 32. Thus, the intermediate rear support plate 70 is arranged adjacent to the rearmost support plate 60 in the series of support plates 50. The intermediate rear support plate 70 has a generally rectangular shape with a perimeter defined by a straight rear edge 72 and a straight front edge 74, a straight medial edge 76, and a straight lateral edge 78. Orientation bores 58 are provided on opposite sides of the plate 70. These bores 58 are configured to receive alignment detents (partially shown at 59) that protrude outwardly within the recess 38 and properly orient the intermediate rear support plate 70 within the recess 38. As best shown in FIG. 3, the rear edge 72 and front edge 74 are the same length, and the medial edge 76 and lateral edge 78 are the same length. The length of the rear edge 72 and the front edge 74 is greater than the length of the medial edge 76 and the lateral edge 78. Accordingly, the support plate 70 is defined by a greatest lateral dimension along the lateral direction that is greater than a greatest longitudinal dimension defined along the longitudinal direction. The edges of the intermediate rear support plate 70 form a generally rectangular shaped plate with radiused corners that are not sharp. In at least one embodiment, the rear edge 72 and front edge 74 are between 5 cm and 9 cm in length. The distance between the rear edge 72 and the front edge 74 is between 1 cm and 3 cm in length. Similar to the rearmost support plate 60, the thickness of the rear intermediate support plate 70 is generally less than 5 mm, e.g., between 1 mm and 3 mm.

With continued reference to FIG. 3, the straight rear edge 72 of the intermediate rear support plate 70 is generally parallel to (i.e., less than 10° offset from) the straight front edge 64 of the adjacent rear support plate 60. It will be recognized that the longitudinal separation distance d1 between these two edges is less than the longitudinal dimension between the rear edge 72 and the front edge 74 of the intermediate rear support plate 70. For example, in at least one embodiment, the distance between the intermediate rear support plate 70 and the rear support plate 60 is between 3 mm and 2 cm in length.

With continued reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the intermediate front support plate 80 is either identical to or very similar in size and shape to that of the intermediate rear support plate 70. Accordingly, the intermediate front support plate 80 has a generally rectangular shape defined by a straight rear edge 82, a straight front edge 84, a straight medial edge 86, and a straight lateral edge 88. Similar to the intermediate rear support plate 70, the intermediate front support plate 80 also includes orientation bores 58 configured to receive alignment detents that protrude outwardly within the recess 38 and properly orient the intermediate front support plate 80 within the recess 38. When positioned within the recess, the intermediate front support plate 80 is positioned closer to the toe region than the heel region of the article of footwear. The straight rear edge 82 of the intermediate front support plate 80 is generally parallel to the straight front edge 74 of the adjacent intermediate rear support plate 70. The longitudinal separation distance d2 between these two edges is similar to that of d1, i.e., less than the longitudinal dimension between the rear edge 82 and the front edge 84 of the intermediate front support plate 80.

The frontmost support plate 90 is either identical to or very similar in size and shape to that of both the intermediate front support plate 80 and the intermediate rear support plate 70. Accordingly, the frontmost support plate 90 has a generally rectangular shape defined by a straight rear edge 92, a straight front edge 94, a straight medial edge 96, and a straight lateral edge 98. Similar to the intermediate front support plate 80, the frontmost support plate 90 also includes orientation bores 58 configured to receive alignment detents that protrude outwardly within the recess 38 and properly orient the frontmost support plate 70 within the recess 38. When positioned within the recess, the frontmost support plate 90 is positioned closer to the toe region than the heel region of the article of footwear. The straight rear edge 92 of the frontmost support plate 90 is generally parallel to the straight front edge 84 of the adjacent intermediate front support plate 80. The longitudinal separation distance d3 between these two edges is similar to that of d1 and d2, i.e., less than the longitudinal dimension between the rear edge 92 and the front edge 94 of the frontmost support plate 90.

It will be recognized from the disclosure herein that the longitudinal dimension of the rearmost support plate 60 is significantly greater than the other support plates 70, 80 and 90. For example, the longitudinal dimension of the rearmost support plate 60 may be greater than the sum of the longitudinal dimensions of the other support plates 70, 80 and 90. Also, it will be recognize that the longitudinal dimension separation distance between the various support plates 60, 70, 80 and 90 is relatively small compared to the longitudinal and lateral dimensions of such plates. In at least one embodiment, the longitudinal dimension of the frontmost support plate 90 is greater than the sum of all the longitudinal separation dimensions, d1, d2 and d3. In such embodiment, the thickness, t, of each support plate may also be less than each of the longitudinal separation dimensions d1, d2 and d3.

In operation, the article of footwear 10 including the series of support plates 50 provides for lateral and longitudinal support for the foot of the wearer throughout a midsole region 14 of the foot. The article of footwear further includes for significant lateral support closer to the toe region, but increased longitudinal flexibility throughout the toe region 16 and portions of the midsole region that are closer to the toe regions. An article of footwear with this significant lateral support with targeted increased longitudinal flexibility has particular advantages for shoes and other articles of footwear worn during athletic activities such as running, basketball, football soccer, and golf, as well as any number of other athletic activities wherein lateral support with increased flexure in a toe region is desired by the wearer.

Although the various embodiments have been provided herein, it will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that other implementations and adaptations are possible. Furthermore, aspects of the various embodiments described herein may be combined or substituted with aspects from other features to arrive at different embodiments from those described herein. Thus, it will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.

Claims

1. An article of footwear defining a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, the article of footwear comprising: an outsole;an upper coupled to the outsole;a midsole arranged on the outsole, the upper and the midsole defining a foot cavity; anda series of support plates positioned between the outsole and the midsole, the series of support plates including at least a first plate, a second plate and a third plate, each of the support plates extending at least a first lateral dimension defined along the lateral direction from a medial side to a lateral side of the article of footwear and at least a first longitudinal dimension defined along the longitudinal direction, wherein each of the support plates is separated by at least a longitudinal separation distance that is less than the first longitudinal dimension.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the longitudinal separation distance is less than the first lateral dimension.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the first plate is positioned closer to a heel end than a toe end of the article of footwear, wherein the third plate is positioned closer to the toe end than the heel end of the article of footwear, and wherein the second plate is positioned between the first plate and the third plate.

4. The article of footwear of claim 3 wherein the series of support plates further includes a fourth plate positioned closer to the toe end than the heel end.

5. The article of footwear of claim 3 wherein the first plate defines a greatest longitudinal dimension and a greatest lateral dimension, wherein the greatest longitudinal dimension of the first plate is greater than the greatest lateral dimension of the first plate.

6. The article of footwear of claim 5 wherein the third plate defines a greatest longitudinal dimension and a greatest lateral dimension, wherein the greatest lateral dimension of the third plate is greater than the greatest longitudinal dimension of the third plate.

7. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein each of the support plates are comprised of carbon fiber or steel.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein at least one of the support plates includes a bore configured to receive a detent on the outsole.

9. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the outsole includes a recess formed in an upper surface of the outsole and at least one of the support plates is positioned within the recess.

10. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the first plate is exposed on an underside of the outsole via a hole in the outsole.

11. An article of footwear comprising: an outsole;an upper coupled to the outsole;a midsole arranged on the outsole, the upper and the midsole defining a foot cavity; anda segmented support plate positioned between the outsole and the midsole, the segmented support plate including a plurality of segments, the plurality of segments including (i) a first segment having a longitudinal dimension that is greater than a lateral dimension of the first segment, and (ii) a second segment having a longitudinal dimension that is less than a lateral dimension of the second segment.

12. The article of footwear of claim 11 wherein a longitudinal distance between the first segment and the second segment of the segmented support plate is less than the longitudinal dimension of the second segment.

13. The article of footwear of claim 12 wherein the segmented support plate further includes a third segment adjacent to the second segment, the third segment having a longitudinal dimension that is less than a lateral dimension of the third segment, and wherein a longitudinal distance between the second segment and the third segment of the segmented support plate is less than the longitudinal dimension of the third segment.

14. The article of footwear of claim 13 wherein the segmented support plate further includes a fourth segment adjacent to the third segment, the fourth segment having a longitudinal dimension that is less than a lateral dimension of the fourth segment, and wherein a longitudinal distance between the third segment and the fourth segment of the segmented support plate is less than the longitudinal dimension of the fourth segment.

15. The article of footwear of claim 11 wherein the first segment defines a proximal end opposite a distal end along a longitudinal direction of the article of footwear, wherein the proximal end is defined by a first lateral dimension and the distal end is defined by a second lateral dimension, wherein the first lateral dimension is less than the second lateral dimension.

16. The article of footwear of claim 11 wherein a thickness of the segmented support plate is less than 5 mm.

17. An article of footwear defining a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, the article of footwear comprising: an outsole;an upper coupled to the outsole;a midsole arranged on the outsole, the upper and the midsole defining a foot cavity; anda series of support plates positioned between the outsole and the midsole, the series of support plates including (i) a first support plate defining a first longitudinal dimension, (ii) a second support plate defining a second longitudinal dimension and separated from the first support plate, and (iii) a third support plate defining a third longitudinal dimension and separated from the first support plate and the second support plate, wherein the first longitudinal dimension is greater than a sum of the second longitudinal dimension and the third longitudinal dimension.

18. The article of footwear of claim 17, the series of support plates further comprising (iv) a fourth support plate defining a fourth longitudinal dimension and separated from the first support plate, the second support plate, and the third support plate, wherein the first longitudinal dimension is greater than a sum of the second longitudinal dimension, the third longitudinal dimension, and the fourth longitudinal dimension.

19. The article of footwear of claim 18 wherein the first support plate is positioned closer to a heel end than a toe end of the article of footwear, and wherein the fourth support plate is positioned closer to the toe end than the heel end of the article of footwear.

20. The article of footwear of claim 19 wherein a longitudinal separation distance between each support plate of the series of support plates is less than any of the first longitudinal dimension, the second longitudinal dimension, the third longitudinal dimension, or the fourth longitudinal dimension.