Patent Application
20180153254
The present invention relates to the field of footwear. Some aspects of the present invention pertain to articles of athletic footwear and/or sole structures for articles of footwear, e.g., used in track and field events (e.g., for the long jump or triple jump events, etc.).
First, some general terminology and information is provided that will assist in understanding various portions of this specification and the invention(s) as described herein. As noted above, the present invention relates to the field of footwear. “Footwear” means any type of wearing apparel for the feet, and this term includes, but is not limited to: all types of shoes, boots, sneakers, sandals, thongs, flip-flops, mules, scuffs, slippers, sport-specific shoes (such as track shoes, golf shoes, tennis shoes, baseball cleats, soccer or football cleats, ski boots, basketball shoes, cross training shoes, etc.), and the like.
First, as illustrated in
Also, various example features and aspects of this invention may be disclosed or explained herein with reference to a “longitudinal direction” and/or with respect to a “longitudinal length” of a footwear component 100 (such as a footwear sole structure). As shown in
Once the longitudinal direction of a component or structure 100 has been determined with the component 100 oriented on a horizontal support surface S in an unloaded condition, planes may be oriented perpendicular to this longitudinal direction (e.g., planes running into and out of the page of
This Summary is provided to introduce some concepts relating to this invention in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the invention.
While potentially useful for any desired types or styles of shoes, aspects of this invention may be of particular interest for athletic shoes, including track and/or field shoes (e.g., for long jump and/or triple jump events, etc.).
Some aspects of this invention relate to sole structures for articles of footwear that may include: (a) a first impact force attenuating component (e.g., a foam component) that includes an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface (the ground-facing surface of the first impact force attenuating component may be engaged with an upper-facing surface of a ground-engaging component, such as a cleated sole member); (b) a rigid plate component that includes an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface, wherein the ground-facing surface of the rigid plate component is engaged with the upper-facing surface of the first impact force attenuating component; and (d) a second impact force attenuating component (e.g., a foam component) that includes an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface, wherein the ground-facing surface of the second impact force attenuating component is engaged with the upper-facing surface of the rigid plate component.
Additional aspects of this invention relate to articles of footwear that include an upper and a sole structure engaged with the upper. The sole structure includes any one or more of the features described above and/or any combinations of features described above (and/or any one or more of the features described below and/or any combinations of features described below). The upper may be made from any desired upper materials and/or upper constructions, including upper materials and/or upper constructions as are conventionally known and used in the footwear art (e.g., especially upper materials and/or constructions used in track and/or field shoes (e.g., for long jump or triple jump events, etc.)).
Additional aspects of this invention relate to methods of making sole structure components, sole structures, and/or articles of footwear, e.g., of the various types and structures described above (and described in more detail below).
The foregoing Summary, as well as the following Detailed Description, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements in all of the various views in which that reference number appears.
The reader should understand that the attached drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.
In the following description of various examples of footwear structures and components according to the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration various example structures and environments in which aspects of the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other structures and environments may be utilized and that structural and functional modifications may be made from the specifically described structures and functions without departing from the scope of the present invention.
As noted above, aspects of this invention relate to sole structures for articles of footwear, e.g., athletic shoes for track and/or field events. As a more specific example, sole structures in accordance with at least some examples of this invention may include one or more of: (a) a first (or lower) impact force attenuating component (e.g., a foam component) that includes an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface, wherein the upper-facing surface of the first impact force attenuating component includes a raised front support surface and a raised rear support surface; (b) a rigid plate component that includes an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface, wherein the ground-facing surface of the rigid plate component is engaged with the upper-facing surface of the first impact force attenuating component; and/or (c) a second (or upper) impact force attenuating component (e.g., a foam component) that includes an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface, wherein the ground-facing surface of the second impact force attenuating component is engaged with the upper-facing surface of the rigid plate component, wherein the ground-facing surface of the second impact force attenuating component includes a lowered front support surface and a lowered rear support surface. In these example structures: (a) a forwardmost portion of the rigid plate component does not overlap the raised front support surface and/or does not overlap the lowered front support surface and/or (b) a rearwardmost portion of the rigid plate component does not overlap the raised rear support surface and/or does not overlap the lowered rear support surface. The forward edge of the rigid plate component in these example structures does not extend to the forwardmost extent of the first and/or second impact force attenuating components and/or the rearward edge of the rigid plate component in this structure does not extend to the rearwardmost extent of the first and/or second impact force attenuating components.
Some example sole structures in accordance with this invention may include one or more of: (a) a first (or lower) impact force attenuating component (e.g., a foam component) that includes an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface; (b) a rigid plate component that includes an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface, wherein the ground-facing surface of the rigid plate component is engaged with the upper-facing surface of the first impact force attenuating component, and wherein the rigid plate component extends continuously: (i) from a heel support area to a forefoot support area of the sole structure and (ii) from a lateral side edge to a medial side edge of the sole structure; and/or (c) a second (or upper) impact force attenuating component (e.g., a foam component) that includes an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface, wherein the ground-facing surface of the second impact force attenuating component is engaged with the upper-facing surface of the rigid plate component. In these example structures: (a) at least at a rear heel location of the sole structure, the upper-facing surface of the first impact force attenuating component is engaged directly with the ground-facing surface of the second impact force attenuating component and/or (b) at least at a forward toe location of the sole structure, the upper-facing surface of the first impact force attenuating component is engaged directly with the ground-facing surface of the second impact force attenuating component. In this manner, the rigid plate component is not exposed at an exterior of the sole structure at a rearmost heel location of the sole structure and/or the rigid plate component is not exposed at an exterior of the sole structure at a forwardmost toe location of the sole structure. In such structures, the upper-facing surface of the first impact force attenuating component is attached directly to the ground-facing surface of the rigid plate component and the ground-facing surface of the second impact force attenuating component. Also, the ground-facing surface of the second impact force attenuating component is attached directly to the upper-facing surface of the rigid plate component and the upper-facing surface of the first impact force attenuating component.
The sole structures described above further may include a ground-engaging component (optionally a cleated ground-engaging component) having an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface, wherein the upper-facing surface of the ground-engaging component may be engaged with the ground-facing surface of the first impact force attenuating component.
Sole structures in accordance with still additional examples of this invention may include: (a) a cleated ground-engaging component having an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface; (b) a first (or lower) foam component (or other impact force attenuating component) that includes an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface, wherein the ground-facing surface of the first foam (or other) component is engaged with the upper-facing surface of the cleated ground-engaging component; (c) a rigid plate component that includes an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface, wherein the ground-facing surface of the rigid plate component is engaged with the upper-facing surface of the first foam (or other) component; and (d) a second (or upper) foam component (or other impact force attenuating component) that includes an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface, wherein the ground-facing surface of the second foam (or other) component is engaged with the upper-facing surface of the rigid plate component.
Sole structures in accordance with at least some examples of this invention may include one or more of the following features:
When the impact force attenuating components (e.g., the first foam component and/or the second foam component described above) include a foam material, the foam component(s) may include a compression molded ethylene vinyl acetate (“EVA”) material. When more than one foam component is present in a sole structure, any of these foam components may include a compression molded ethylene vinyl acetate material, and the compression molded ethylene vinyl acetate materials within a single sole structure may be the same or different. Additionally or alternatively, if desired, the foam material(s) (optionally compression molded ethylene vinyl acetate material(s)) may have a hardness of at least 60 Asker C, and in some examples, at least 64 Asker C, at least 68 Asker C, within a range of 60 to 92 Asker C, within a range of 64 to 88 Asker C, within a range of 68 to 84 Asker C, within a range of 70 to 80 Asker C, or even within a range of 72 to 76 Asker C. In other examples of this invention, the foam material(s) (optionally compression molded ethylene vinyl acetate material(s)) may have a hardness of at least 42 Asker C, and in some examples, at least 45 Asker C, at least 48 Asker C, within a range of 42 to 82 Asker C, within a range of 45 to 78 Asker C, within a range of 48 to 72 Asker C, within a range of 50 to 68 Asker C, or even within a range of 52 to 56 Asker C.
In at least some examples of this invention, the rigid plate component will be the main component providing stiffness to the sole structure (at least stiffness or resistance to bending about a transverse axis or other medial side-to-lateral side axis thereof). Therefore, the rigid plate component may have a greater stiffness (at least stiffness or resistance to bending about a transverse axis or other medial side-to-lateral side axis thereof) than that of the cleated ground-engaging component, the first foam (or other impact force attenuating) component, and/or the second foam (or other impact force attenuating) component. Additionally or alternatively, the rigid plate component may have a thickness dimension (e.g., a dimension directly from its upper-facing surface to its ground-facing surface) of no greater than 2.5 mm through at least 70% of a surface area of the rigid plate component (and in some examples, through at least 80%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 98%, or even through 100% of the rigid plate component's surface area). If desired, the rigid plate component may be even thinner, e.g., no greater than 2 mm, no greater than 1.5 mm, no greater than 1 mm, or even no greater than 0.75 mm over any of the above noted area extents (i.e., through at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 98%, or even through 100% of the rigid plate component's surface area). The rigid plate component may extend continuously: (a) from a heel support area to a forefoot support area of the sole structure and/or (b) from a lateral side edge to a medial side edge of the sole structure, if desired.
In at least some examples of this invention, the cleated ground-engaging component may include a matrix structure having a plurality of cells, e.g., open cells, including plural open cells at least in a forefoot support region of the cleated ground-engaging component (and in some examples, plural open cells in a midfoot support region thereof and/or plural open cells in a heel support region thereof). In fact, in some sole structures in accordance with this invention, the matrix structure and/or the open cells thereof may extend continuously from a forefoot support region to a heel support region of the cleated ground-engaging component (including through the midfoot support region). The ground-engaging component may be formed to include an outer perimeter boundary rim extending around at least 80% of an outer perimeter of the ground-engaging component (and in some examples, around at least 90%, at least 95%, or even 100% of the outer perimeter), wherein an open space is defined between a lateral side of the outer perimeter boundary rim and a medial side of the outer perimeter boundary rim, and the matrix structure may extend from the outer perimeter boundary rim and across the open space.
In at least some examples of this invention, at least some cells of the matrix structure of the ground-engaging component may be defined by hexagonally shaped ridges, and if desired, at least some corners of the hexagonally shaped ridges may form sharp points extending in a direction away from the upper-facing surface of the ground-engaging component. If desired, these sharp points may function as “secondary” traction elements in the sole structure. In such structures, one cell of the matrix structure may be defined by a hexagonal ridge having six sides, wherein each side of the hexagonal ridge of this cell is shared with a corresponding cell located adjacent this cell. In this manner, the cell may be surrounded by six adjacent cells. At least some corners of the hexagonal ridge may form sharp points extending in a direction away from the upper-facing surface of the ground-engaging component, as described above. These “corners” may be located at regions of the matrix structure where three adjacent cells (or partial cells) meet. A cell or partial cell is “adjacent” to another cell or partial cell, as that term is used herein: (a) if a straight line can be drawn to connect openings/interiors of the two cells/partial cells without that straight line crossing through the open space/interior of another cell or partial cell or passing between two other adjacent cells or partial cells and/or (b) if the cells/partial cells share a wall. “Adjacent cells” (or partial cells) also may be located close to one another (e.g., so that a straight line distance between the openings/interiors of the cells is less than 1 inch long (and in some examples, less than 0.5 inches long). A “partial cell” means an incomplete open, partially open, or closed cell (e.g., a cell that terminates at an edge of the ground-engaging component 240, such as the partial cells shown in
Given this general description and background information, more specific examples of sole structures, sole structure components, and articles of footwear in accordance with aspects of this invention will be described with reference to
The upper 202 of this example includes a foot-receiving opening 206 that provides access to an interior chamber into which the wearer's foot is inserted. The upper 202 further may include a tongue member 208 located across the foot instep area and positioned so as to moderate the feel of the closure system 210 (which in this illustrated example constitutes a lace type closure system) on the wearer's foot.
As mentioned above, the upper 202 may be made from any desired materials and/or in any desired constructions and/or manners without departing from this invention. As some more specific examples, at least a portion of the upper 202 (and optionally a majority, all, or substantially all of the upper 202) may be formed as a woven textile component, a knitted textile component, and/or a synthetic leather component. The textile components for upper 202 may have structures and/or constructions like those provided in FLYKNIT® brand footwear and/or via FLYWEAVE™ technology available in products from NIKE, Inc. of Beaverton, Oreg.
Additionally or alternatively, if desired, the upper 202 construction may include uppers having foot securing and engaging structures (e.g., “dynamic” and/or “adaptive fit” structures), e.g., of the types described in U.S. Patent Appln. Publn. No. 2013/0104423, which publication is entirely incorporated herein by reference. As some additional examples, if desired, uppers and articles of footwear in accordance with this invention may include foot securing and engaging structures of the types used in FLYWIRE® Brand footwear available from NIKE, Inc. of Beaverton, Oreg. Additionally or alternatively, if desired, uppers and articles of footwear in accordance with this invention may include fused layers of upper materials. As still additional examples, uppers of the types described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,347,011 and/or 8,429,835 may be used without departing from this invention (each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,347,011 and 8,429,835 is entirely incorporated herein by reference).
The sole structure 204 of this example article of footwear 200 now will be described in more detail. As shown in
In this illustrated example, a bottom/ground-facing surface 232G of the lower impact force attenuating component 230 is exposed at an exterior of the sole structure 204 substantially throughout the bottom of the sole structure 204 (and exposed over more than 40%, more than 50%, and even more than 75% of the bottom surface area of the sole structure 204). As shown in
Features of individual components of sole structure 204 now will be described in more detail, starting with the upper impact force attenuating component 212 and with reference to
When made from or formed to include a foam material, the foam material may be relatively stiff and/or hard, particularly when the article of footwear 200 is designed for athletic use (e.g., in field events, such as the long jump or triple jump). In this manner, the wearer will lose less energy when the foot contacts the ground (e.g., energy is not lost in displacing a soft foam material). As some more specific examples, the foam material of this impact force attenuating component 212 may have a hardness of at least 60 Asker C (and in some examples, a hardness of at least 64 Asker C, at least 68 Asker C, within a range of 60 to 92 Asker C, within a range of 64 to 88 Asker C, within a range of 68 to 84 Asker C, within a range of 70 to 80 Asker C, or even within a range of 72 to 76 Asker C). In other examples, the foam material of this impact force attenuating component 212 may have a hardness of at least 42 Asker C, and in some examples, at least 45 Asker C, at least 48 Asker C, within a range of 42 to 82 Asker C, within a range of 45 to 78 Asker C, within a range of 48 to 72 Asker C, within a range of 50 to 68 Asker C, or even within a range of 52 to 56 Asker C.
The top surface 212U of this upper impact force attenuating component 212 may be contoured, e.g., based on the general shape of a human foot. The perimeter edges 212E of the top surface 212U may extend upward somewhat over at least some of the perimeter, e.g., to provide a generally “cupped” surface for engaging and positioning with respect to the upper 202.
As further shown in
Similarly, the ground-facing surface 212G of the upper impact force attenuating component 212 of this example includes a rear lowered ridge 216R or wall and a lowered rear support surface 216S extending rearward from this rear lowered ridge 216R. While other arrangements are possible, this rear lowered ridge 216R and lowered rear support surface 216S are located rearward of a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L of the sole structure 204 and/or the overall article of footwear, wherein the perpendicular plane is located at about 0.04 L (e.g., see
The height(s) of the ridges 214R and/or 216R may be selected so as to provide at least a portion of a recess (or pocket) into which the rigid plate component 220 may fit in the finally assembled sole structure 204 (as will be described in more detail below in conjunction with
As some more absolute dimensional features, if desired, the ridges 214R and/or 216R may have a height dimension HR of no greater than 2.5 mm over at least 70% of their respective length (and in some examples, over at least 80%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 98%, or even over 100% of their respective length). If desired, the ridges 214R and/or 216R may be even shorter, e.g., no greater than 2 mm, no greater than 1.5 mm, no greater than 1 mm, no greater than 0.75 mm, or even no greater than 0.4 mm over any of the above noted length extents (i.e., over at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 98%, or even over 100% of the ridge's 214R and/or 216R length). The ridges 214R and/or 216R may be continuous or discontinuous. Also, while the ridges 214R and 216R may have the same height dimension HR (when both are present), this is not a requirement.
As further evident from the side views of rigid plate component 220 shown in
The rigid plate component 220 may extend continuously: (a) from a heel support area of the sole structure 204 to a forefoot support area of the sole structure 204 and/or (b) from a lateral side edge to a medial side edge of the sole structure 204. Thus, the rigid plate component 220 may underlie and support more than a majority of the plantar surface of a wearer's foot (and even more than 75% of the plantar surface). As shown in this illustrated example, however, the forwardmost edge 224 of the rigid plate component 220 stops short of the forwardmost point of the sole structure 204 such that the forwardmost edge 224 is engaged with the upper impact force attenuating component 212 behind the front lowered ridge 214R and/or such that the rigid plate component 220 does not overlap with the lowered front support surface 214S of the upper impact force attenuating component 212. Additionally or alternatively, as shown in this illustrated example, the rearwardmost edge 226 of the rigid plate component 220 stops short of the rearwardmost point of the sole structure 204 such that the rearwardmost edge 226 is engaged with the upper impact force attenuating component 212 forward of the rear lowered ridge 216R and/or such that the rigid plate component 220 does not overlap with the lowered rear support surface 216S of the upper impact force attenuating component 212.
As shown in
As some more specific example ranges, the forwardmost edge 224B and/or the forwardmost point 224P of this example rigid plate component 220B (at the lateral edge of the rigid plate component 220B) may terminate at a location rearward from a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal length L of the overall midsole structure (e.g., the combination of components 212, 220B, and 230), the overall sole structure 204, and/or the overall footwear structure 200 and located at P=0.85 L (and in some examples, rearward of a perpendicular plane located at P=0.80 L or even rearward of a perpendicular plane located at P=0.75 L). As some more specific example ranges, the forwardmost edge 224B and/or the forwardmost point 224P of this example rigid plate component 220B may extend to and terminate at a location between planes perpendicular to the longitudinal length L of the overall midsole structure (e.g., the combination of components 212, 220B, and 230), the overall sole structure 204, and/or the overall footwear structure 200 and located at P=0.5 L and 0.85 L (and in some examples, between perpendicular plates located at P=0.55 L and 0.80 L or even between perpendicular plates located at P=0.6 L and 0.75 L). All perpendicular plane locations noted above are measured forward from the rearmost heel location of the relevant component (forward from the rearmost heel location of the overall midsole structure (e.g., the combination of components 212, 220B, and 230), the overall sole structure 204, and/or the overall footwear structure 200).
As further shown in
Features of the lower impact force attenuating component 230 now will be described in more detail with reference to
When made from or formed to include a foam material, the foam material may be relatively stiff and/or hard, particularly when the article of footwear 200 is designed for athletic use (e.g., in field events, such as the long jump or triple jump). In this manner, the wearer will lose less energy when the foot contacts the ground (e.g., energy is not lost in displacing a soft foam material). As some more specific examples, the foam material of this impact force attenuating component 230 may have a hardness of at least 60 Asker C (and in some examples, a hardness of at least 64 Asker C, at least 68 Asker C, within a range of 60 to 92 Asker C, within a range of 64 to 88 Asker C, within a range of 68 to 84 Asker C, within a range of 70 to 80 Asker C, or even within a range of 72 to 76 Asker C). In other examples, the foam material of this impact force attenuating component 230 may have a hardness of at least 42 Asker C, and in some examples, at least 45 Asker C, at least 48 Asker C, within a range of 42 to 82 Asker C, within a range of 45 to 78 Asker C, within a range of 48 to 72 Asker C, within a range of 50 to 68 Asker C, or even within a range of 52 to 56 Asker C. The foam material and/or other structural features of the lower impact force attenuating component 230 may be the same as those of the upper impact force attenuating component 212, or these components 212/230 and/or structural features thereof may be different.
As further shown in
Similarly, the upper-facing surface 232G of the lower impact force attenuating component 230 of this example includes a rear raised ridge 236R or wall and a raised rear support surface 236S extending rearward from this rear raised ridge 236R. While other arrangements are possible, this rear raised ridge 236R and raised rear support surface 236S are located rearward of a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L of the sole structure 204 and/or the overall article of footwear, wherein the perpendicular plane is located at about 0.04 L (e.g., see
The height(s) of the ridges 234R and/or 236R may be selected so as to provide at least a portion of a recess (or pocket) into which the rigid plate component 220 may fit in the finally assembled sole structure 204 (as will be described in more detail below in conjunction with
As some more absolute dimensional features, if desired, the ridges 234R and/or 236R may have a height dimension HR of no greater than 2.5 mm over at least 70% of their respective length (and in some examples, over at least 80%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 98%, or even over 100% of their respective length). If desired, the ridges 234R and/or 236R may be even shorter, e.g., no greater than 2 mm, no greater than 1.5 mm, no greater than 1 mm, no greater than 0.75 mm, or even no greater than 0.4 mm over any of the above noted length extents (i.e., over at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 98%, or even over 100% of the ridge's 214R and/or 216R length). The ridges 234R and/or 236R may be continuous or discontinuous. Also, while the ridges 234R and 236R may have the same height dimension HR (when both are present), this is not a requirement. Also, ridges 234R and/or 236R may have the same height or different heights from the ridges 214R and/or 216R of the upper impact force attenuating component 212.
The upper impact force attenuating component 212 may have an overall thickness through its plantar support surface of less than 12 mm (and in some examples, less than 10 mm or even less than 8 mm). Similarly, the lower impact force attenuating component 230 may have an overall thickness through its plantar support surface of less than 12 mm (and in some examples, less than 10 mm or even less than 8 mm). In this manner, together with the thin rigid plate component 220 (e.g., having the thickness dimensions described above) and the thin ground-engaging component 240, a relatively thin sole structure 204 can be provided.
When this example sole structure 204 is assembled (e.g., as shown in
While the illustrated example shows sole structures 204 that include four ridges 214R, 234R, 216R, and 236R to define the space (e.g., pocket or platform) in which the rigid plate component 220 is mounted, other options are possible without departing from this invention. For example, the front end of the sole structure 204 may include a ridge like those described above on only one of the impact force attenuating components 212 and/or 230 (e.g., only one of 214R or 234R) and/or the rear end of the sole structure 204 may include a ridge like those described above on only one of the impact force attenuating components 212 and/or 230 (e.g., only one of 216R or 236R). In such structures, the single ridge may be sized and shaped so as to itself define the space (e.g., pocket or platform) for receiving the rigid plate component 220. As yet another option, if desired, ridge pairs 214R/234R and/or 216R/236R could be omitted from the front and/or rear areas, and the ground-facing surface 212G and upper facing surface 232U may simply be deformed (e.g., flexed) and bonded together at either or both ends of the sole structure 204 without the need for formation of a “pocket” (assuming the rigid plate component 220 in such structures extends to a location short of either or both ends of the sole structure 204).
The direct junction(s) 238F and/or 238R between the upper impact force attenuating component 212 and the lower impact force attenuating component 230, when present, can help provide a more stable and secure connection between the sole structure 204 components. For example, these direct junction(s) 238F and/or 238R at the extreme toe and heel ends can help prevent delamination of the sole structure 204 (e.g., by helping prevent the forward and/or rear ends of the rigid plate component 220 from “delaminating” or pulling apart from their connection to the impact attenuating components 212 and/or 230 if the bond between components 212 and 230 is stronger than the bond between components 212/220 and/or 230/220). The direct junction(s) 238F and/or 238R may be particularly useful in the present sole structure 204 due to the forefoot curvature of the rigid plate component 220, its resiliency, and its operation (e.g., flattening out under force applied by the user and returning to its original curved configuration when the force is sufficiently relaxed or removed).
In at least some examples of this invention, the rigid plate component 220 will be sized and shaped so as to overlap with at least 85% of the surface area of the upper impact force attenuating component 212 and/or at least 85% of the surface area of the lower impact force attenuating component 230 (and in some examples, at least 90% or even at least 95% of either (or both) of these surface areas). Additionally or alternatively, at least 2% of the surface area of the ground-facing surface 212G of the upper impact force attenuating component 212 may engage directly with at least 2% of the surface area of the upper-facing surface 232U of the lower impact force attenuating component 230 (e.g., at the front support surfaces 214S/234S and/or at the rear support surfaces 216S/236S). As some more specific examples, sole structures 204 in accordance with at least some examples of this invention may include any one or more of the following properties:
Example ground-engaging components 240 for sole structures 204/articles of footwear 200 in accordance with some examples of this invention now will be described in more detail with reference to
The ground-engaging components 240 of these examples are shaped so as to extend completely across the forefoot support area of the sole structure 204 from the lateral side to the medial side. In this manner, the outer perimeter boundary rim 242O forms the medial and lateral side edges of the bottom of the sole structure 204 at least at the forefoot medial and forefoot lateral sides and around the front toe area. The ground-engaging component 240 also may extend completely across the sole structure 204 from the lateral side edge to the medial side edge at other areas of the sole structure 204, including throughout the longitudinal length of the sole structure 204. In this manner, the outer perimeter boundary rim 242O may form the medial and lateral side edges of the bottom of the sole structure 204 throughout the sole structure 204, if desired.
The outer perimeter boundary rim 242O of this illustrated example ground-engaging component 240 defines an upper-facing surface 248U (e.g., see
The support structure 250 of these examples extends from the ground-facing surface 248G of the outer perimeter boundary rim 242O to define at least a portion of the ground-facing surface 248G of the ground-engaging component 240. In the illustrated examples of
As further shown in
The cleat support areas 260 can take on various structures without departing from this invention. In the illustrated example, the cleat support areas 260 are defined by and as part of the matrix structure 250 as a thicker portion of matrix material located within or partially within the outer perimeter boundary rim 242O and/or located within the open space 244. As various options, if desired, one or more of the cleat support areas 260 may be defined in one or more of the following areas: (a) solely in the outer perimeter boundary rim 242O, (b) partially in the outer perimeter boundary rim 242O and partially in the open space 244, and/or (c) completely within the open space 244 (and optionally located at or adjacent the outer perimeter boundary rim 242O). When multiple cleat support areas 260 are present in a single ground-engaging component 240, all of the cleat support areas 260 need not have the same size, construction, and/or orientation with respect to the outer perimeter boundary rim 242O and/or open space 244 (although they all may have the same size, construction, and/or orientation, if desired).
In at least some examples of this invention, the outer perimeter boundary rim 242O and the support structure 250 extending into/across the open space 244 may constitute an unitary, one-piece construction. The one-piece construction can be formed from a polymeric material, such as a PEBAX® brand polymer material or a thermoplastic polyurethane material. As another example, if desired, the ground-engaging component 240 may be made as multiple parts (e.g., split at the forward-most toe area, split along the front-to-back direction, and/or split or separated at other areas), wherein each part includes one or more of: at least a portion of the outer perimeter boundary rim 242O and at least a portion of the support structure 250. As another option, if desired, rather than an unitary, one-piece construction, one or more of the outer perimeter boundary rim 242O and the support structure 250 individually may be made of two or more parts. The material of the matrix structure 250 and/or ground-engaging component 240 in general may be relatively stiff, hard, and/or resilient so that when the ground-engaging component 240 flexes in use (e.g., when sprinting or running fast), the material tends to return (e.g., spring) the component 240 back to or toward its original shape and structure when the force is removed or sufficiently relaxed (e.g., as occurs during a step cycle when the foot is lifting off the ground). Alternatively, if desired, the ground-engaging component 240 may be less stiff and rigid (and particularly less stiff and rigid than the rigid plate component 220, such that the rigid plate component 220 is the most rigid and/or stiff component in the sole structure 204 and/or such that the rigid plate component 220 is the primary source or contributor to the sole structure 204's stiffness, rigidity, and/or energy return). The above stiffness and/or rigidity properties may apply to create and/or provide a resistance to bending of the various components (and particularly a resistance to bending about a transverse or other medial side to lateral side axis of the components). As one more specific example, the ground-engaging component 240 may be made from a BZM08 material available from Arkema having a 92% polyamide (nylon) 11 content and 8% glass fiber filler content, a hardness of 71-77 Shore D, and a specific gravity of 1.05-1.09.
As some more specific examples, the rigid plate component 220 may have at least 25% greater stiffness and/or at least 25% higher resistance to bending than the ground-engaging component 240, at least with respect to bending of each about an axis oriented in a transverse direction of the component 220 (or an axis about another medial side-to-lateral side direction). Also, if desired, the rigid plate component 220 may have at least 50%, at least 75%, at least 100%, or even at least 150% greater stiffness and/or at least 50%, at least 75%, at least 100%, or even at least 150% higher resistance to bending (e.g., about a transverse axis or other medial side-to-lateral side axis) than the ground-engaging component 240 and/or any other sole structure 204 component.
Optionally, the outer perimeter boundary rim 242O and the support structure 250, whether made from one part or more, will have a combined mass of less than 95 grams (exclusive of any separate primary traction elements, like spikes 262, and/or primary traction element mounting hardware), and in some examples, a combined mass of less than 75 grams, less than 65 grams, less than 55 grams, or even less than 50 grams. The entire ground-engaging component 240 (including any separate primary traction elements and/or mounting hardware therefor) also may have any of these same weighting characteristics.
If desired, however, one or more additional primary traction elements 262 can be provided at other locations of the ground-engaging component 240 structure, including rearward of either or both of the identified rear cleats, between the identified medial cleats, forward of either or both of the forward-most cleats, and/or between the lateral and medial cleats (e.g., in the matrix structure 250 within the open area 244, at a central forward toe location, etc.).
As further shown in these figures, along with
The raised corners 504C of the generally hexagonal ridge 504 in this illustrated example ground-engaging component 240 may be formed as sharp peaks that may act as secondary traction elements at desired locations around the ground-engaging component 240. As evident from these figures and the discussion above, the generally hexagonal ridges 504 and side walls 506 from three adjacent cells (e.g., 252 and two 252J cells) meet at a single (optionally raised) corner 504C and thus may form a substantially pyramid type structure (e.g., a pyramid having three side walls 252F, 506 that meet at a point 504C). This substantially pyramid type structure can have a sharp point (e.g., depending on the slopes of walls 252F, 506), which can function as a secondary traction element when it contacts the ground in use.
Not every cell (open, partially open, or closed) in the ground-engaging component 240 needs to have this type of secondary traction element structure (e.g., with raised pointed pyramids at the generally hexagonal ridge 504 corners 504C), and in fact, not every generally hexagonal ridge 504 corner 504C around a single cell 252 needs to have a raised secondary traction element structure. One or more of the ridge components 504 of a given cell 252 may have a generally straight line structure along the ground-facing surface 248G and/or optionally a linear or curved structure that moves closer to the upper-facing surface 248U moving from one corner 504C to an adjacent corner 504C. In this manner, secondary traction elements may be placed at desired locations around the ground-engaging element 240 structure and left out (e.g., with smooth corners 504C and/or edges in the z-direction) at other desired locations. Additionally or alternatively, if desired, raised points and/or other secondary traction elements could be provided at other locations on the matrix structure 250, e.g., anywhere along ridge 504 or between adjacent cells.
Notably, in this example construction, the matrix structure 250 defines at least some of the cells 252 (and 252J) such that the perimeter of the entrance to the cell opening 252 around the upper-facing surface 248U (e.g., defined by perimeter 244P of the ovoid shaped opening) may be smaller than the perimeter of the entrance to the cell opening 252 around the ground-facing surface 248G (e.g., defined by the generally hexagonal perimeter ridge 504). Stated another way, the area of the entrance to the cell opening 252 from the upper-facing surface 248U (e.g., the area within and defined by the perimeter 244P of the ovoid shaped opening) may be smaller than the area of the entrance to the cell opening 252 from the ground-facing surface 248G (e.g., the area within and defined by the generally hexagonal perimeter ridge 504). The generally hexagonal perimeter ridge 504 completely surrounds the perimeter 244P in at least some cells. These differences in the entrance areas and sizes are due to the sloped/curved sides walls 506 from the upper-facing surface 248U to the ground-facing surface 248G.
Midsole structures, e.g., including components 212, 220, and 230 of the construction/types shown in
Flexural Stress, MPa(N/mm2)=3 FL/2 bh2,
in which F represents the applied force (in N, measured by the load cell), L represents the span length (30 mm in this example), b represents the specimen width (into and out of the page of
The dark lines in
As shown in the Table, both midsole structures had considerable stiffness in the forefoot and midfoot areas. The Table further illustrates the increase in stiffness obtainable by increasing the number of carbon fiber layers in rigid component 220.
Footwear structures in accordance with at least some examples of this invention may have stiffness properties within one or more of the following ranges (based on the measurement location features shown in
The present invention is disclosed above and in the accompanying drawings with reference to a variety of embodiments and/or options. The purpose served by the disclosure, however, is to provide examples of various features and concepts related to the invention, not to limit the scope of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that numerous variations and modifications may be made to the features of the invention described above without departing from the scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims.
