POLYMERIC COVER PANELS WITH INTEGRAL PLASTIC FRAGMENTS FOR FOOTWEAR UPPERS AND METHODS FOR MAKING THE SAME

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to articles of footwear. More specifically, aspects of this disclosure relate to athletic shoes with structural elements manufactured from scrap, waste, repurposed, and/or other recyclable plastic materials.

BACKGROUND

Articles of footwear, such as shoes, boots, slippers, sandals, and the like, are generally composed of two primary elements: an upper for securing the footwear to a user's foot, and a sole for providing subjacent support to the foot. Uppers may be fabricated from a variety of materials, including textiles, polymers, natural and synthetic leathers, etc., that are stitched or bonded together to form a shell or harness for securely receiving a foot. Many sandals and slippers, for example, have an upper with an open toe and/or open heel construction. Some designs employ an upper that is limited to a series of straps extending over the instep and, optionally, around the user's ankle. Conversely, many boot and shoe designs employ a full upper with a closed toe and heel construction that encases the foot. An ankle opening through a rear quarter portion of the upper provides access to the footwear's interior, facilitating entry and removal of the foot into and from the upper. A lace or strap may be utilized to secure the foot within the upper.

A sole structure is affixed to the underside of the upper, positioned between the user's foot and the ground. In many articles of footwear, including athletic shoes and boots, the sole structure is a layered construction that generally incorporates a comfort-enhancing insole, an impact-mitigating midsole, and a surface-contacting outsole. The insole is typically a thin and compressible member that provides a contact surface for the underside “plantar” region of the user's foot. By comparison, the midsole is located underneath the insole, forming a middle layer of the sole structure. In addition to attenuating ground reaction forces, the midsole may help to control foot motion and impart enhanced stability. Secured underneath the midsole is an outsole that forms the ground-contacting portion of the footwear. The outsole is usually fashioned from a durable, wearproof material that includes tread patterns engineered to improve traction.

Some conventional methods of footwear manufacture use slabstock plastic to die-cut structural segments of the shoe, including midsoles, insole sock liners, and select segments of the upper. Large extruding machines or heat presses are used to make the polymer slabs, which are then skived, cut, and shaped to the final parts prior to assembly into the individual shoes. Historically, a considerable amount of plastic scrap material is generated during the shoe manufacturing process. For example, scrap can be generated due to mold flashing, race-tracking, air entrapment, sink marking, burning, or warpage, all of which may result in unacceptably damaged (C-grade) parts. In the footwear industry, waste plastic is also generated from outside sources, such as worn footwear that is discarded by the end user. Much effort has been expended to collect and recycle scrap materials produced during manufacture and waste materials from used products. In many instances, however, waste and scrap plastic cannot simply be blended with virgin starting materials because the recycled mass may be inconsistent from batch-to-batch, may be contaminated, or may have thermal properties that prevent use in this fashion.

During the regular use of athletic shoes, especially European football (soccer) boots and other cleated footwear worn in the grass and dirt, the footwear is susceptible of accumulating dirt, debris, and other contaminants on the bottom of the sole and along lower segments of the upper. As used herein, the terms “cleats” and “studs” and “spikes”, including permutations thereof, may be used interchangeably and synonymously to reference protrusions from a footwear sole that provide additional traction on grass, turf, and other slippery surfaces. The cleats—a term which is oftentimes used synecdochically to refer to footwear having such grount-engaging protrusions—may have conical or blade-like shapes, may be made from plastics, metals, and composite materials, and may be permanent or interchangeable. For outdoor use of cleated athletic shoes, water is particularly troublesome as it can saturate the footwear upper and may lead to discomfort, the formation of tears and blisters on the user's feet, and may even develop contagious fungal infections. Depending on where these injuries are located on the foot, they can be painful and may limit the user's mobility. Surprisingly, most athletic shoes are not waterproof and, worse, may be manufactured using textiles and moisture wicking materials; consequently, athletes that participate in outdoor activities often have to endure wet, cold feet during times of inclement weather.

SUMMARY

Presented herein are polymeric cover panels with integral plastic fragments for articles of footwear, methods for making and methods for using such cover panels, and footwear fabricated with such cover panels. In a non-limiting example, a cover sheet of hot-melt adhesive, adhesive-coated polymer, or tacky thermoplastic material is covered in, at least partially embedded with, encases therein, or otherwise affixes thereto plastic chunks, chips, or other visible fragments. The fragment-embedded polymer sheet is wrapped around a select segment or select segments of a footwear's upper to encapsulate the plastic fragments between the cover sheet and the upper. It may be desirable that the embedded plastic fragments are produced using scrap, waste, and/or repurposed (collectively “recycled”) plastics, such as recovered and reground thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) or ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers. The cover sheet may be substantially transparent or have a variable transparency/opacity across the sheet to enable some or all of the embedded plastic fragments to be visible from the exterior of the footwear. The fragment-embedded cover sheet can be stitched, bonded, or welded to an exterior surface of a footwear upper to provide a water-proofing and wear-resistant wrap as the outermost layer of the upper's exterior.

Aspects of this disclosure are directed to polymeric cover panels with integral plastic fragments for covering and concealing select segments of athletic shoes. In an example, a cover panel is presented for an article of footwear. The article of footwear has a sole structure for supporting thereon a user's foot, and a footwear upper that is affixed to the sole structure and attaches to the user's foot. The cover panel includes a cover layer that is formed, in whole or in part, from an at least partially transparent polymeric material. This cover layer attaches to one or more select segments of the footwear's upper such that an outer face of the cover layer defines the outermost surface of the select segment(s) of the footwear upper. Assorted plastic fragments are dispersed across and affixed to an interior face of the cover layer; with this arrangement, the fragments are encapsulated between the cover layer and the footwear upper. Each of the plastic fragments has a distinct shape, size, and/or color from other plastic fragments.

Further aspects of the present disclosure are directed to footwear with a single or multiple polymeric cover panels for covering and concealing one or more select segments of the footwear's upper. For instance, an article of footwear, such as a soccer cleat or other athletic shoe, includes an upper that receives and attaches to a user's foot. A sole structure, which is mounted along the underside of the upper to support thereon the user's foot, defines a ground-engaging surface of the footwear. The footwear also includes one or more cover panels that are wrapped onto the upper. Each cover panel is fabricated with a cover layer that is formed, in whole or in part, from a partially or fully transparent polymeric material. In addition, each panel is mounted to a select segment of the footwear's upper such that an outer face of the cover layer defines the outermost surface of that select segment of the footwear upper. Multiple plastic fragments are dispersed across and at least partially embedded within an interior face of the cover layer such that these plastic fragments are encapsulated between the cover layer and an underlying webbing, backing material, or base layer of the footwear upper. Each of the plastic fragments has a distinct shape, size, and/or color from other fragments.

Additional aspects of this disclosure are directed to manufacturing processes, control logic, and computer readable media (CRM) for fabricating any of the disclosed cover panels, footwear uppers, and/or footwear. In an example, a method is presented for manufacturing a cover panel for an article of footwear. This representative method includes, in any order and in any combination with any of the above or below disclosed features and options: using an at least partially transparent polymeric material to form a cover layer structurally configured to attach to a select segment of the footwear upper such that an outer face of the cover layer defines an outermost surface of the select segment of the footwear upper; and, affixing a plurality of plastic fragments to an interior face of the cover layer with the plastic fragments dispersed across the interior face, each of the plastic fragments having a distinct shape, size, and/or color.

Also disclosed herein are multilayer outer membrane assemblies for wrapping and waterproofing select segments of footwear uppers. In an example, an outer membrane assembly includes a membrane layer that is formed with a partially of fully transparent polyurethane (PU) material. The membrane layer rigidly mounts (e.g., via heat stakes) to a select segment of the footwear upper such that an outer face of the membrane layer defines an outermost surface of the select segment(s) of the footwear upper. The membrane layer may be fabricated as a single-piece, continuous structure to provide waterproofing and structural reinforcement to the select segment(s) of the upper. A batch of scrap plastic fragments and/or textile fragments is dispersed across and thermally fused to an inner face of the membrane layer. An optional textile lining may fixedly attach thereto the outer membrane such that the batch of scrap plastic and textile fragments are sandwiched between the membrane layer and textile lining.

For any of the disclosed cover panels, methods, and footwear, the cover layer may include a lateral-side panel segment that attaches to and covers a lateral segment of the footwear upper, and a medial-side panel segment that attaches to and covers a medial segment of the footwear upper. In this example, both the lateral-side and medial-side panel segments may extend continuously from a toe box, which is located at a front end of the footwear, to a rear counter, which is located at a back end of the footwear, e.g., such that the cover panel wraps around and envelops most or all of the footwear upper. As yet a further option, the cover layer, including the lateral-side panel segment and the medial-side panel segment, may be integrally formed as a single-piece, unitary structure. The footwear sole structure may also include a resilient soleplate that defines a ground-facing surface of the footwear, e.g., and may carry the ground-contacting nubs of a soccer cleat. In this instance, the cover layer's lateral-side panel segment may wrap around and cover a lateral section of a ground-facing surface of the upper, whereas the medial-side panel segment may wrap around and cover a medial section of the upper's ground-facing surface such that the soleplate abuts the cover layer and mounts to the cover panel.

For any of the disclosed cover panels, methods, and footwear, the polymeric material used to form the cover layer may have a distinct (first) opacity level (e.g., an opacity of about 5-15% or less as measured by ASTM D 1746-09 or ASTM D 1003-11) at a select (first) region of the cover layer, and a distinct (second) opacity level (e.g., opacity of about 30-45% or more) at another (second) region of the cover layer. As another option, substantially all of the cover layer may have an opacity level of about 5% to about 25% (e.g., as measured by herein-described testing standards). It may be desirable that the plastic fragments be integrally formed with the cover layer prior to assembly with the footwear upper. For instance, some or all of the plastic fragments may be permanently adhered to and, if desired, may at least partially protrude from the interior face of the cover layer. As another option, some or all of the plastic fragments may be at least partially embedded within the cover layer and, if desired, may at least partially protrude from the interior face of the cover layer. Some or all of the plastic fragments may be permanently encased within the cover layer.

For any of the disclosed cover panels, methods, and footwear, the plastic fragments cover the entire interior face of the cover layer. Alternatively, only predefined sections of the cover layer's interior face are covered with plastic fragments. In the same vein, the cover layer may cover some or substantially all of the footwear upper and may wrap around and cover some or substantially all of a ground-facing surface of the upper. The polymeric material used to fabricate the cover layer may include a hot-melt adhesive material, a tacky thermoplastic material, an adhesive-coated polymer film, or any combination thereof. The plastic fragments may include a batch of “regrind” recycled plastic material that contains ground scrap, waste, and/or repurposed plastic material. It may be desirable that the polymeric material used to form the cover layer be distinct from the polymeric material(s) that form the plastic fragments.

The above Summary does not represent every embodiment or every aspect of the present disclosure. Rather, the foregoing summary merely provides an exemplification of some of the novel concepts and features set forth herein. The above features and advantages, and other features and attendant advantages of this disclosure, will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of illustrated examples and representative modes for carrying out the present disclosure when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. Moreover, this disclosure expressly includes any and all combinations and subcombinations of the elements and features presented above and below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side, perspective-view illustration of a representative article of footwear with an outermost polymeric cover sheet with integrated plastic fragments in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a plan-view illustration of a representative multilayer polymeric cover sheet with a fabric lining (base) layer, a polymeric cover (outer) layer, and an integrated (central) layer of recyclate fragments in accord with aspects of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are side-view illustrations of other representative articles of footwear wrapped in multilayer polymeric cover sheets with embedded plastic fragments in accord with aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a representative workflow process for manufacturing an article of footwear with one or more select segments of the footwear upper covered by a polymeric cover layer with embedded plastic fragments, which may correspond to memory-stored instructions executed by a manufacturing system controller, control-logic circuitry, programmable electronic control unit, or other integrated circuit (IC) device or a network of IC devices in accord with aspects of the disclosed concepts.

The present disclosure is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, and some representative embodiments are shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the novel aspects of this disclosure are not limited to the particular forms illustrated in the above-enumerated drawings. Rather, this disclosure covers all modifications, equivalents, combinations, permutations, groupings, and alternatives falling within the scope of this disclosure as encompassed, for example, by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This disclosure is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms. Representative implementations of the disclosure are shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail with the understanding that these embodiments are provided as an exemplification of the disclosed principles, not limitations of the broad aspects of the disclosure. To that extent, elements and limitations that are described, for example, in the Abstract, Technical Field, Background, Summary, and Detailed Description sections, but not explicitly set forth in the claims, should not be incorporated into the claims, singly or collectively, by implication, inference or otherwise. Lastly, features presented in the drawings are not necessarily to scale and are provided purely for instructional purposes. Thus, the specific and relative dimensions shown in the drawings are not to be construed as limiting.

For purposes of the present detailed description, unless specifically disclaimed: the singular includes the plural and vice versa; the words “and” and “or” shall be both conjunctive and disjunctive; the words “any” and “all” shall both mean “any and all”; and the words “including,” “containing,” “comprising,” “having,” permutations thereof, and like terms, shall each mean “including without limitation.” Moreover, words of approximation, such as “about,” “almost,” “approximately,” “substantially,” “generally,” and the like may be used herein in the sense of “at, near, or nearly at,” or “within 0-5% of,” or “within acceptable manufacturing tolerances,” or any logical combination thereof, for example. Lastly, directional adjectives and adverbs, such as fore, aft, medial, lateral, proximal, distal, vertical, horizontal, front, back, left, right, etc., may be with respect to an article of footwear when worn on a user's foot and operatively oriented with the base of the sole structure seated on a flat surface, for example.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to like features throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 a representative article of footwear, which is designated generally at 10 and portrayed herein for purposes of discussion as an athletic shoe in the form of a cleated soccer boot. The illustrated article of footwear 10—also referred to herein as “footwear” or “shoe” for brevity—is merely an exemplary application with which novel aspects of this disclosure may be practiced. In the same vein, implementation of the present concepts for wrapping and concealing substantially all of a shoe's upper should also be appreciated as a representative implementation of the disclosed concepts. It will therefore be understood that aspects and features of this disclosure may be utilized for covering only select segments of a shoe's upper, may be integrated into both athletic and non-athletic shoe designs, and may be incorporated into any logically relevant type of footwear. As used herein, the terms “shoe” and “footwear”, including permutations thereof, may be used interchangeably and synonymously to reference any suitable type of garment worn on a human foot.

The representative article of footwear 10 is generally depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 as a bipartite construction that is primarily composed of a foot-receiving upper 12 mounted on top of a subjacent sole structure 14. For ease of reference, footwear 10 may be divided into three anatomical regions: a forefoot region R_FF, a midfoot region R_MF, and a hindfoot (heel) region R_HF. In accordance with recognized anatomical classifications, the forefoot region R_FFis located at the front of the footwear 10 and generally corresponds with the phalanges (toes), metatarsals, and any interconnecting joints thereof. Interposed between the forefoot and hindfoot regions R_FFand R_HFis the midfoot region R_MF, which generally corresponds with the cuneiform, navicular, and cuboid bones (i.e., the arch area of the foot). Hindfoot region R_HF, in contrast, is located at the rear of the footwear 10 and generally corresponds with the talus (ankle) and calcaneus (heel) bones.

Footwear 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2 may also be divided along a central vertical plane into a lateral segment S_LAand an adjoining medial segment S_ME. The lateral segment S_LAmay be typified as a distal half of the shoe 10 farthest from the sagittal plane of the human body. Conversely, the medial segment S_MEmay be typified as a proximal half of the shoe 10 closest to the sagittal plane of the human body. Both lateral and medial segments S_LAand S_MEof the footwear 10 extend through all three anatomical regions R_FF, R_MF, R_HF, and each corresponds to a respective transverse side of the footwear 10. While only a single shoe 10 for a left foot of a user is shown in FIG. 1, a mirrored, structurally similar counterpart may be provided for a right foot of a user (e.g., FIGS. 3A and 3B). Recognizably, the shape, size, material composition, and method of manufacture of the shoe 10 may be varied, singly or collectively, to accommodate practically any conventional or nonconventional footwear application.

With reference again to FIG. 1, the upper 12 is depicted as having a shell-like construction with a closed toe and heel configuration for encasing a human foot. Upper 12 is generally defined by four adjoining sections, namely a toe box 12A, a vamp 12B, a ankle quarter 12C, and rear counter 12D. The toe box 12A is shown as a rounded tip that is located at the forward end of the upper 12 and extends from distal to proximal phalanges to cover and protect the user's toes. By comparison, the vamp 12B is an arched midsection of the upper 12 that is located aft of the toe box 12A and extends approximately the length of the metatarsals and cuneiforms. As shown, the vamp 12B also defines a throat with a fore-aft-spaced series of lace eyelets 16 and a shoe tongue 18. Interposed between the vamp 12B and the rear counter 12D is an ankle quarter that extends from approximately the forward tip of the cuboid to the rear tip of the talus. Positioned aft of the quarter 12C is a rear counter 12D section that the defines the rearmost end and rear sides of the upper 12. Rear counter 12D wraps around the calcaneus bone and originates/terminates at the transverse ends of the tarsal joint. While portrayed in the drawings as comprising four primary segments, the upper 12 may be fabricated as a single-piece construction or may be composed of any number of segments, including a toe shield, heel cap, ankle cuff, interior liner, etc. For sandal and slipper applications, the upper 12 may take on an open toe or open heel configuration or, optionally, may be replaced with a single strap or a set of interconnected straps.

The upper 12 portion of the footwear 10 may be fabricated from any one or combination of a variety of materials, such as textiles, engineered foams, polymers, natural and synthetic leathers, etc. Individual segments of the upper 12, once assembled or cut to shape and size, may be stitched, adhesively bonded, fastened, welded, or otherwise joined together to form an interior void for comfortably receiving a foot. The individual material elements of the upper 12 may be selected and located with respect to the footwear 10 in order to impart desired properties of durability, air-permeability, wear-resistance, flexibility, appearance, and comfort, for example. An ankle opening 15 in the quarter 12C portion of the upper 12 provides access to the interior of the shoe 10. A shoelace 20, strap, buckle, or other commercially available mechanism may be utilized to modify the girth of the upper 12 in order to more securely retain the foot within the interior of the shoe 10 as well as to facilitate entry and removal of the foot from the upper 12. Shoelace 20 may be threaded through the series of eyelets 16 in the upper 12; the tongue 18 may extend between the lace 20 and the interior void of the upper 12.

Sole structure 14 is rigidly secured to the upper 12 such that the sole structure 14 extends between the upper 12 and a support surface upon which stands a user. In effect, the sole structure 14 functions as an intermediate support platform that separates and protects the user's foot from the ground. In addition to attenuating ground reaction forces and providing cushioning for the foot, sole structure 14 of FIGS. 1 and 2 may provide traction, impart stability, and help to limit various foot motions, such as inadvertent foot inversion and eversion. It is envisioned that the sole structure 14 may be attached to the upper 12 via any presently available or hereinafter developed joining techniques. For at least some applications, the upper 12 may be coupled directly to the midsole 24, e.g., with the upper 12 adhesively attached to an outer periphery of a midsole sidewall and secured with a bonding allowance via priming, cementing, and pressing.

In accordance with the illustrated example, the sole structure 14 is fabricated as a sandwich structure with a foot-contacting insole (located entirely inside the upper 12; not visible in the views provided), an intermediate midsole 24, and a bottom-most outsole (also referred to herein as “soleplate”) 26. Alternative sole structure configurations may be fabricated with greater or fewer than three layers (e.g., some soccer cleats use a two-part sole assembly with a sock liner and soleplate and, thus, eliminate the midsole). An insole is located within an interior void of the footwear 10, operatively located at a lower portion of the upper 12 such that the insole abuts a plantar surface of the foot. Underneath the insole is a midsole 24 that incorporates one or more materials or embedded elements that enhance the comfort, performance, and/or ground-reaction-force attenuation properties of footwear 10. These elements and materials may include, individually or in any combination, a polymer foam material, such as polyurethane or ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), filler materials, moderators, air-filled bladders, plates, lasting elements, or motion control members. Outsole 26 is located underneath the midsole 24, defining some or all of the bottom-most, ground-engaging portion of the footwear 10. The outsole 26 may be formed from a natural or synthetic rubber material that provides a durable and wear-resistant surface for contacting the ground. In addition, the outsole 26 may be contoured and textured to enhance the traction (i.e., friction) properties between footwear 10 and the underlying support surface.

Footwear 10 of FIG. 1 may be specifically engineered for use during a designated activity, such as a sporting event or during athletic training, in which it is advantageous to maintain fore-aft and medio-lateral stability while increasing static friction with the ground surface. Disclosed articles of footwear may be provided with traction elements that protrude from a sole structure to collectively define the ground-contacting surface of the footwear. These traction elements may be structurally configured to pierce or impress into the ground surface to thereby increase the footwear's gripping characteristics and, thus, help to secure contact between the user's foot and the ground. According to the illustrated example, the outsole 26 takes on a semi-rigid, one-piece soleplate construction that is located underneath the upper 14 and fixedly attached to the bottom, ground-facing surface of the midsole 24. Multiple blade-shaped and/or S-shaped cleats 26 are shown affixed to the bottom, ground-facing surface of the outsole 26, each extending downwardly from the footwear sole structure 14.

Discussed below are assorted footwear designs that use reclaimed waste materials, manufacturing scrap materials, and/or repurposed plastic materials (collectively “recycled” or “recyclate” material) in the fabrication of one or more select segments of a shoe structure. In a non-limiting example, a multilayer cover panel (also referred to herein as “outer membrane” or “top sheet”) is constructed as a sandwich structure with an outermost cover layer (also referred to herein as “membrane layer” or “top layer”), an underlying recyclate layer (e.g., scattered plastic and/or textile fragments), and an optional base layer (e.g., a fabric lining). The cover layer is formed from a sheet of hot-melt adhesive, adhesive-coated film, or tacky thermoplastic elastomer. An interior face of the cover layer is masked in fragmented recyclate material prior to final assembly onto the footwear upper. The recyclate layer is permanently adhered to, embedded in, encased by, thermally fused with, or otherwise integrated into the cover layer. The base layer may be substantially coextensive with the cover layer, sandwiching the recycled particulate between juxtaposed interior faces of the base and cover layers.

The multilayer cover panel, once assembled, may be stitched, bonded, fastened, or welded to an outer surface of the footwear upper to provide a water-proof and wear-resistant wrap as the outermost layer of the upper's exterior. The cover layer film may have a predefined transparency and/or a variable opacity across the sheet, which may allow more or less of the reclaimed material to be visible from the exterior of the shoe. To this end, the regrind recycled material should have a preset minimum size (e.g., an average largest dimension that is no smaller than 2-3 millimeters (mm)). Consequently, the regrind recycled composition should not be pulverized into particulate matter; rather, the majority of the regrind material should constitute visible chunks. It may be desirable that the multilayer cover layer wrap around and conceal substantially all of the footwear upper. Moreover, it may be desirable that the underlying recyclate layer be encapsulated between and protected by the cover layer and the base layer. Additional information related to the use of recyclate polymers for manufacturing footwear may be found, for example, in U.S. Patent Application Pub. Nos. 2021/0244131 A1, 2019/0366590 A1, and 2014/0066530 A1, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their respective entireties and for all purposes.

With reference to both FIGS. 1 and 2, the cleated athletic shoe 10 is manufactured with a multilayer cover panel 30 assembly that wraps around and masks one or more select segments of the footwear's upper 12. As noted above, the cover panel 30 assembly may contain or, if desired, may consist essentially of two (or three) primary layers: an outermost cover layer 32, a central recyclate layer 34, and an optional base layer 36. Shown as the outermost layer of the multilayer cover panel 30, the cover layer 32 helps to waterproof and structurally reinforce the select segment(s) of the footwear 10. The cover layer 32 may bear a printed emblem, a color coating, an applique, or any other surface-borne features that do not materially affect the functional characteristics of the cover panel 30 assembly. The recyclate layer 34, which is portrayed as the central layer of the multilayer cover panel 30, is integrated into the cover layer 32 and may be composed of “grey regrind material” that contains ground/shredded/cut/sectioned pieces of surplus material from footwear manufacturing. Recyclate layer 34 is sandwiched between and directly abuts the outer cover layer 32 and the subjacent base layer 36.

The optional base layer 36, which is shown in FIG. 2 as the bottom layer of the multilayer cover panel 30 assembly, may be a flexible fabric or textile material. For a unitary cover panel 30 design, such as that shown in FIG. 2, the base layer 36 may be fabricated as part of the cover panel 30 assembly to buttress both the cover layer 32 and recyclate layer 34. Alternatively, the base layer 36 may be fabricated separately from the cover layer 30 and first assembled with the sole structure 14 and remaining features of the upper 12. In this case, the cover and recyclate layers 32, 34 may be formed as a unitary structure that is subsequently mounted onto the base layer 36 after the base layer 36 has been lasted during assembly of the footwear 10. It is also within the scope of this disclosure that the base layer 36 be altogether eliminated from the footwear 10.

In accord with the illustrated example, the cover layer 32 is formed, in whole or in part, with an at least partially transparent polymeric material. By way of example, and not limitation, the cover layer 32 may be injection molded, thermoformed, compression molded, extruded, skived and cut, or unrolled and stamped into a planar, sheet-like structure. The cover layer 32 may be fabricated from any suitable polymer or hybrid-polymer composite, such as from a hot-melt adhesive material (e.g., polypropylene copolymer, polyolefin elastomer, or low-density polyethylene), a tacky thermoplastic material (e.g., polypropylene compounded with SEBS rubber), and/or an adhesive-coated polymer film (pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) or heat-activated adhesive (HAA) on synthetic elastomer backing). For at least some implementations, the polymeric material(s) used to form the cover layer 32 is distinct from the materials used to form the recyclate and base layers 34, 36. In a specific yet non-limiting example, the cover layer 32 is a multilayer PU-based hot-melt adhesive film with a thickness of about 0.20 mm to about 0.25 mm (e.g., about 0.23 mm), a weight of about 250 g/m 2 to about 300 g/m²(e.g., about 280 g/m²), an adhesive bond strength of about 2 kg/cm to about 5 kg/cm (e.g., about 3 kg/cm), a melting point of about 100° C. to about 150° C. (e.g., about 118° C.), and a maximum shrinkage of about 5% (e.g., about 2% max shrink).

The polymeric material used to form the cover layer 32 is partially or fully transparent such that some or all of the underlying recyclate layer 34 can be seen from the exterior of the shoe 10. In an example, the cover layer 32 may be deemed “sufficiently transparent” if it has a luminous transmittance (i.e., a percentage of incident light that is transmitted) of at least about 80 percent and a haze (i.e., percentage of transmitted light that is scattered) of not more than about 35 percent. It may be desirable that one or more (first) select regions of the cover layer 32 have a distinct (first) opacity level (e.g., an opacity of about 5-15% or less as measured by ASTM D 1746-09 or ASTM D 1003-11) whereas one or more (second) select regions of the cover layer 32 have a distinct (second) opacity level (e.g., opacity of about 30-45% or more). Other applications may employ a cover layer material that is substantially or completely opaque.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cover layer 32 is shaped and sized to fixedly mount, e.g., via sewing, bonding, welding, fasteners, and the like, onto at least one segment of the footwear upper 12. In so doing, an outer face 21 of the cover layer 32 defines the outermost surface of the select segment or segments of the upper 12 covered by the cover panel 30 assembly. FIG. 2 of the drawings, for example, portrays the multilayer cover layer 32 assembly as having a lateral-side panel segment P_LSadjoining a medial-side panel segment P_MS. It may be desirable that the cover layer 32, including both the lateral-side and medial-side panel segments P_LSand P_MS, be integrally formed as a unitary, single-piece structure. When the cover panel 30 assembly is properly oriented and rigidly attached to the footwear 10, the lateral-side panel segment P_LSsits flush against and conceals a lateral-side segment of the upper 12 on the lateral side S_LAof the footwear 10, whereas the medial-side panel segment P_MSsits flush against and conceals a medial-side segment of the upper 12 on the medial side S_LAof the footwear 10. The lateral-side and medial-side panel segments P_LS, P_MSare shown extending continuously from the toe box 12A region, through the vamp 12B and ankle quarter 12C regions, to the rear counter 12D region of the footwear 10. With this arrangement, the cover panel 30 assembly may wrap around and cover most of the upper 12, as best seen in FIG. 1.

Recyclate layer 34 contains an assortment of plastic fragments and, optionally, textile fragments that are dispersed across and affixed to an interior face 33 of the cover layer 32. For applications in which the recyclate layer 34 is fabricated from reground recycled plastic, such as green regrind materials (e.g., ground waste material from recycled shoes) and/or grey regrind materials (e.g., ground scrap material from manufacturing processes of prior footwear applications), each plastic/textile fragment may have a distinct shape, size, and/or color. In the inset view of FIG. 2, for example, some fragments may have a combination of regular geometric shapes (e.g., square, triangle, etc.) and some fragments may have a combination of irregular geometric shapes (e.g., irregular polygon, oblong, etc.). Some fragments may share a similar geometry yet may be larger or smaller in size. To this end, one subset of fragments may share a first color (e.g., red), a second subset of the fragments may share a second color (e.g., white), a third subset of the fragments may share a third color (e.g., silver), and so on. It should be appreciated that the individual and relative shapes, sizes, and color variations of the recyclate layer 34 fragments illustrated in the drawings are purely representative in nature and provided for purposes of explanation; thus, the cover layer-integrated fragments of this disclosure may take on any desired combination of shapes, sizes, and colors.

For ease of assembly, the fragments of the recyclate layer 34 may be immovably affixed to the cover layer 32, e.g., such that the entire cover panel 30 assembly may be processed, transported, and mounted onto the footwear 10 as a single unit. These plastic and textile fragments may be permanently adhered to and, for at least some fragments, protrude from the interior face 33 of the cover layer 32. In the same vein, some or all of the fragments may be at least partially embedded within the cover layer 12 and project downwardly from the interior face 33 thereof. As another option, some or all of the fragments may be permanently encased within a lower segment of the cover layer 32. Plastic and textile fragments may be dispersed across and thermally fused to the inner face 33 of the cover layer 32. With this arrangement, most of the plastic fragments of the recyclate layer 34 may be encapsulated between the cover layer 32 and the base layer 36 or another outer surface of the footwear upper 12. In FIG. 2, these fragments cover the entire interior face 33 of the cover layer 32.

For many cleated athletic shoes, such as American football, soccer (European football), lacrosse, and baseball cleats, a semi-rigid soleplate (e.g., soleplate 26 of FIG. 1) may be mounted along the underside of the footwear upper 12 to define the ground-facing and ground-contacting surface of the footwear 10. It may be desirable that the lateral-side panel segment P_LSof the cover layer 32 wraps around and concomitantly covers a lateral surface section of a downward-facing surface of the upper 12. At the same time, the medial-side panel segment P_MSmay wrap downward around and cover a medial surface section of a downward-facing surface of the upper 12. To fully encase the footwear's upper 12, bottom-most edges of the two panel segments P_LS, P_MSmay abut each other to define an interface seam or may be integrally formed to define a seamless interface along the bottom surface of the upper 12. In this case, the soleplate 26 abuts the cover layer 32 and, thus, may mount directly onto the cover panel 30 assembly.

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate two other representative articles of footwear 110 and 210, respectively, each of which is wrapped in a multilayer polymeric cover panel 130 and 230 with embedded plastic fragments. Although differing in appearance, it is envisioned that any of the features and options described above with respect to the footwear 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2 may be incorporated, singly or in any combination, into the footwear 110 and 210 of FIGS. 3A and 3B, and vice versa. For instance, all three of the illustrated footwear 10, 110, 210 include a foot-receiving upper 12, 112, 212 that is mounted on top of a foot-supporting sole structure 14, 114, 214. And similar to the footwear 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2, the uppers 112, 212 of both footwear 110, 210 are wrapped in and substantially covered by a multilayer cover panel 130, 230. Unlike the sporadic dispersion of fragments in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cover panel 130 assembly of FIG. 3A has a honeycomb design in which the recyclate fragments are broken or otherwise formed into hexagonal and other polygonal plates that are arranged side-by-side with one another in a preset pattern. By comparison, the cover panel 230 assembly of FIG. 3B incorporates recyclate fragments that are formed into quadrilateral chips that are stacked side-by-side with one another in another preset pattern.

A variety of techniques, elective processes, and system architectures may be utilized to manufacture the footwear described herein. By way of non-limiting example, FIG. 4 presents an improved footwear manufacturing method, designated generally at 300, for forming an article of footwear, such as athletic shoe 10 of FIG. 1, that is at least partially wrapped with one or more polymeric cover panels, such as multilayer cover panel 30 assembly of FIG. 2, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Some or all of the operations illustrated in FIG. 4 and described in further detail below may be representative of an algorithm that corresponds to processor-executable instructions that may be stored, for example, in main or auxiliary or remote memory, and executed, for example, by a local or remote controller, processing unit, control logic circuit, or other module or device or network of modules/devices, to perform any or all of the above or below described functions associated with the disclosed concepts. One or more of the illustrated operations may be carried out or assisted manually by an onsite technician or team of technicians. It should be recognized that the order of execution of the illustrated operation stages may be changed, additional stages may be added, and some of the stages described may be modified, combined, or eliminated.

Method 300 of FIG. 4 may be initialized responsive to receipt of an activation command signal, e.g., that is received from a human machine interface (HMI) of a central control terminal. Initial stages of the manufacturing process may comprise supplying, accessing, and/or utilizing (collectively “providing”) the various materials, tools and machines needed to manufacture the athletic shoe 10. At a first process stage (S1), for example, a batch of recycled plastic material is retrieved from an available store of polymer recyclate. The first process stage (S1) is portrayed as a wheeled skid loader 301 collecting and delivering a batch of recycled plastic 303. As used herein, the term “recycled plastic” may encompass used or excess or scrapped plastic that is put into a recycling stream, including wholesale recycling of entire products, disassembly of products and recycling only selected parts, recycling of manufacturing byproduct, all of which may require sorting and cleaning of collected materials. For at least some embodiments, scrap and waste polyolefin foams are recovered and incorporated into foamed articles produced with at least some virgin polyolefin materials. It may be desirable, depending on an intended application, that at least 40 parts of recycled plastic per 100 parts of virgin plastic be incorporated into newly manufactured articles by the methods described herein. The batch of recycled plastic material may include thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) plastics, such as a synthetic rubber, or ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer plastics, such as Phylon.

Once the batch of recycled plastic is received and any attendant sorting, cleaning, or other pre-processing is complete at a second process stage (S2), the method 300 shreds, chops, cuts, or crushes (collectively “grinds”) the batch of recycled plastic at a third process stage (S3). The second process stage (S2) is represented in FIG. 4 as the wheeled skid loader 301 pouring the collected recyclate 303 into an intake bin of an automated plastic recycling line 305 (e.g., a HEBEI FANGTAI™ plastic sorting and line washing plant). At the third process stage (S3), the sorted/cleaned/pre-processed recyclate 307 is transferred via a recyclate conveyor belt system 309 and poured into a hopper of a commercial grinding machine 311 (e.g., an AIX™ PC-600 industrial plastic shredder-grinder-crusher machine). A dedicated recycling station may be responsible for grinding recycled Phylon or rubber into pelletized form; ground recycled material may be produced in real-time or stored in inventory and reused when desired. In accord with the illustrated example, the regrind plastic is not mixed with virgin polymer materials, is not mixed with a blowing/foaming agent, and is not heated or foamed as part of a plastic molding process. Generally speaking, the ground recyclate may be incorporated “as-is” into the footwear 10.

With continuing reference to FIG. 4, the method 300 advances to a fourth process stage (S4) to begin constructing a multilayer cover panel that will subsequently be mounted onto an upper of an article of footwear. In accord with this non-limiting example, a thin top sheet of hot-melt adhesive 313 is unrolled from a top-sheet feed roller 315 and fed between a motor-driven drive roller 317 and an adhesive-activating heat roller 319. During feed of the thin top sheet 313, a batch of the ground recyclate 321 that is output from the grinding machine 311 is concurrently transferred via a regrind conveyor belt system 323 to the juxtaposed rollers 317, 319. At this juncture, plastic/textile fragments are dispersed across and permanently affixed to an underside (interior) face of the top sheet 313 via the two rollers 317, 319. While described as a sheet of hot-melt adhesive, the top sheet 313 may take on any of the other cover layer forms described herein as well as other suitable membrane materials. In this vein, recyclate fragments may be permanently affixed to the top sheet 313 via roll-to-roll processing, as shown in the drawings, or may be scattered onto, embedded within, thermally fused to, and/or permanently encased within the top sheet 313.

During a fifth process stage (S5) of the footwear manufacturing method 300, the fragment-embedded top sheet 325 is pulled from the rollers 317, 319 and machined into individual cover panels. In FIG. 4, for example, a sheet cutting device 329 (e.g., a SHIGAN® XS-1200Y single-head, stamp-type pneumatic cold cutting machine) sequentially cuts cover panels 327 out of the top sheet 325 to a desired size and shape. The cut cover panels 327 may thereafter be collected, e.g., manually by hand or automated by robot, and transferred to a lasting station, at a sixth process stage (S6). Individual fragment-embedded cover panels 327 are thereafter aligned with, placed on, and rigidly mounted to an upper 312 of a near-complete athletic shoe 310. As shown, a unitary-single piece cover panel 327, which consists essentially of a partially/fully transparent polymeric top sheet that is permanently embedded with recycled fragments, is wrapped around medial, lateral, and underside segments of the footwear's upper 312. At a seventh process stage (S7), the cover panel 327 is fixedly attached to the athletic shoe 310. This may be achieved by heating the wrapped shoe 310′ with a commercial heater device 331 (e.g., a QINGLI® industrial line heater) to reactivate the hot-melt adhesive of the top sheet 313. It is also within the scope of this disclosure to rigidly mount a fragment-embedded cut cover panel 327 onto a footwear upper 312 using any other available technique, including heat stakes, stitching, bonding, fasteners, etc. At an optional eight process stage (S8), manufacturing scrap from making the individual cover panels during the fifth process stage (S5) are recovered and recycled, e.g., to create a closed-loop manufacturing system with little or no waste.

Additional features may be reflected in the following clauses:

Clause 1: a cover panel for an article of footwear, the article of footwear including a sole structure configured to support thereon a foot of a user, and a footwear upper affixed to the sole structure and configured to attach to the foot of the user, the cover panel comprising: a cover layer formed with an at least partially transparent polymeric material and configured to attach to a select segment of the footwear upper such that an outer face of the cover layer defines an outermost surface of the select segment of the footwear upper; and a plurality of plastic fragments dispersed across and affixed to an interior face of the cover layer, each of the plastic fragments having a distinct shape, size, and/or color.

Clause 2: the cover panel of clause 1, wherein the select segment of the footwear upper includes lateral and medial segments on lateral and medial sides of the footwear, respectively, and wherein the cover layer includes lateral-side and medial-side panel segments configured to attach to and cover the lateral and medial segments, respectively, of the footwear upper.

Clause 3: the cover panel of clause 2, wherein the footwear upper includes a toe box at a front end of the footwear, a vamp adjoining the toe box, a rear quarter adjoining the vamp, and a rear counter at a back end of the footwear and adjoining the rear quarter, and wherein the lateral-side and medial-side panel segments extend continuously from the toe box to the rear counter.

Clause 4: the cover panel of any clause 2 or clause 3, wherein the cover layer, including the lateral-side panel segment and the medial-side panel segment, is integrally formed as a one-piece structure.

Clause 5: the cover panel of any one of clauses 2 to 4, wherein the sole structure includes a soleplate defining a ground-facing surface of the footwear, and wherein the lateral-side panel segment is configured to wrap around and cover a lateral surface segment of a ground-facing upper surface of the upper, the medial-side panel segment is configured to wrap around and cover a medial surface segment of the ground-facing upper surface, and the soleplate mounts to the cover panel and abuts the cover layer.

Clause 6: the cover panel of any one of clauses 1 to 5, wherein the at least partially transparent polymeric material has a first opacity level at a first region of the cover layer and a second opacity level, distinct from the first opacity level, at a second region of the cover layer.

Clause 7: the cover panel of any one of clauses 1 to 6, wherein the plastic fragments are permanently adhered to and protrude from the interior face of the cover layer.

Clause 8: the cover panel of any one of clauses 1 to 7, wherein the plastic fragments are at least partially embedded within the cover layer and protrude from the interior face thereof.

Clause 9: the cover panel of any one of clauses 1 to 8, wherein the plastic fragments are permanently encased within the cover layer.

Clause 10: the cover panel of any one of clauses 1 to 9, wherein the plastic fragments cover the entire interior face of the cover layer.

Clause 11: the cover panel of any one of clauses 1 to 10, wherein the sole structure further includes a soleplate defining a ground-facing surface of the footwear, and wherein the cover layer is configured to cover the select segment of the footwear upper and to wrap around and cover at least a portion of a ground-facing upper surface of the upper such that the soleplate abuts the cover layer.

Clause 12: the cover panel of any one of clauses 1 to 11, wherein the polymeric material of the cover layer includes a hot-melt adhesive material, a tacky thermoplastic material, and/or an adhesive-coated polymer film.

Clause 13: the cover panel of any one of clauses 1 to 12, wherein the plastic fragments include recycled plastic material containing ground scrap, waste, and/or repurposed plastic material.

Clause 14: an article of footwear comprising: a sole structure configured to support thereon a foot of a user; a footwear upper affixed to the sole structure and configured to attach to the foot of the user; and a cover panel, including: a cover layer formed from an at least partially transparent polymeric material and mounted to a select segment of the footwear upper such that an outer face of the cover layer defines an outermost surface of the select segment of the footwear upper; and a plurality of plastic fragments dispersed across and at least partially embedded within an interior face of the cover layer such that the plastic fragments are encapsulated between the cover layer and the footwear upper, each of the plastic fragments having a distinct shape, size, and/or color.

Clause 15: a method of manufacturing a cover panel for an article of footwear, the article of footwear including a sole structure configured to support thereon a foot of a user, and a footwear upper affixed to the sole structure and configured to attach to the foot of the user, the method comprising: forming a cover layer using an at least partially transparent polymeric material and to structurally attach to a select segment of the footwear upper such that an outer face of the cover layer defines an outermost surface of the select segment of the footwear upper; and affixing a plurality of plastic fragments to an interior face of the cover layer with the plastic fragments dispersed across the interior face, each of the plastic fragments having a distinct shape, size, and/or color.

Clause 16: the method of clause 15, wherein the select segment of the footwear upper includes lateral and medial segments on lateral and medial sides of the footwear, respectively, and wherein forming the cover layer includes forming a lateral-side panel segment and a medial-side panel segment that structurally attach to and cover the lateral segment and the medial segment, respectively, of the footwear upper.

Clause 17: the method of clause 16, wherein the footwear upper includes a toe box at a front end of the footwear, a vamp adjoining the toe box, a rear quarter adjoining the vamp, and a rear counter at a back end of the footwear and adjoining the rear quarter, and wherein the lateral-side and medial-side panel segment are formed to extend continuously from the toe box to the rear counter.

Clause 18: the method of clause 16 or clause 17, wherein the cover layer, including the lateral-side panel segment and the medial-side panel segment, is integrally formed as a one-piece structure.

Clause 19: the method of any one or clauses 16 to 18, wherein the sole structure further includes a soleplate defining a ground-facing surface of the footwear, and wherein the lateral-side panel segment is configured to wrap around and cover a lateral surface segment of a ground-facing upper surface of the upper, the medial-side panel segment is configured to wrap around and cover a medial surface segment of the ground-facing upper surface, and the soleplate mounts to the cover panel.

Clause 20: the method of any one or clauses 15 to 19, wherein the at least partially transparent polymeric material has a first opacity level at a first region of the cover layer and a second opacity level, distinct from the first opacity level, at a second region of the cover layer.

Clause 21: the method of any one or clauses 15 to 20, wherein affixing a plurality of plastic fragments to an interior face of the cover layer includes: permanently adhering at least some of the plastic fragments to the interior face of the cover layer; permanently embedding at least some of the plastic fragments within the cover layer; and/or permanently encasing at least some of the plastic fragments within the cover layer.

Clause 22: the method of any one or clauses 15 to 21, wherein the plastic fragments cover the entire interior face of the cover layer.

Clause 23: the method of any one or clauses 15 to 22, wherein the sole structure includes a soleplate defining a ground-facing surface of the footwear, and wherein the cover layer is configured to cover the select segment of the footwear upper and to wrap around and cover at least a portion of a ground-facing upper surface of the upper such that the soleplate abuts the cover layer.

Clause 24: the method of any one or clauses 15 to 23, wherein the polymeric material of the cover layer includes a hot-melt adhesive material, a tacky thermoplastic material, and/or an adhesive-coated polymer film.

Clause 25: the method of any one or clauses 15 to 24, wherein the plastic fragments include recycled plastic material containing ground scrap, waste, and/or repurposed plastic material.

Clause 26: a multilayer outer membrane assembly for wrapping select segments of an article of footwear, the article of footwear including a sole structure that supports thereon a foot of a user, and a footwear upper affixed to the sole structure and attaches to the foot of the user, the outer membrane assembly comprising: a membrane layer formed with an at least partially transparent polyurethane material and configured to attach to a select segment of the footwear upper such that an outer face of the membrane layer defines an outermost surface of the select segment of the footwear upper; and a batch of scrap plastic fragments and/or textile fragments dispersed across and thermally fused to an inner face of the membrane layer.

Aspects of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments; those skilled in the art will recognize, however, that many modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the precise construction and compositions disclosed herein; any and all modifications, changes, and variations apparent from the foregoing descriptions are within the scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the present concepts expressly include any and all combinations and subcombinations of the preceding elements and features.

POLYMERIC COVER PANELS WITH INTEGRAL PLASTIC FRAGMENTS FOR FOOTWEAR UPPERS AND METHODS FOR MAKING THE SAME

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