Patent Application
20200268097
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
An appendix accompanies this specification and is a part thereof. The appendix depicts additional images of embodiments disclosed herein.
This disclosure pertains to a shoe upper.
One aspect of the disclosure pertains to a shoe including a sole and an upper. The sole includes a sole heel end, a sole toe end, a sole heel region, a sole midfoot region, a sole metatarsal region, a sole ball region, and a sole toe region. The sole heel region extends longitudinally from the sole heel end toward the sole midfoot region, the sole midfoot region extends longitudinally from the sole heel region toward the sole metatarsal region, the sole metatarsal region extends longitudinally from the sole midfoot toward the sole ball region, the sole ball region extends longitudinally from the midfoot toward the sole toe region, and the sole toe region extends longitudinally from the sole midfoot region to the sole toe end. The upper is coupled to the sole. The upper includes an upper heel end, an upper toe end, an upper heel region, an upper midfoot region, an upper metatarsal region, an upper ball region, an upper toe region, a rand region, a throat region, a throat opening, a collar region, a lateral side, and a medial side. The upper heel region extends longitudinally from the upper heel end toward the upper midfoot region, the upper midfoot region extends longitudinally from the upper heel region toward the upper metatarsal region, the upper metatarsal region extends longitudinally from the upper metatarsal region toward the upper ball region, the upper ball region extends longitudinally from the upper metatarsal region toward the upper toe region, the upper toe region extends longitudinally from the upper ball region to the upper toe end, and the rand region extends upward from a junction of the sole and the upper. The throat opening forms an opening adapted and configured to receive a foot. The collar region extends downward from and around the throat opening. The throat region extends longitudinally from the throat opening toward the upper toe end. The upper includes an outer layer and an inner layer. The outer layer has an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface of the outer layer is in direct contact with the inner layer. The outer layer is a hot melt thermoplastic material, and the inner layer is a material different from that of the outer layer. At least a portion of the outer layer is adhered to the inner layer, and the inner layer including a portion not covered by the outer layer.
Further features and advantages of the present disclosure, as well as the operation of the embodiments described herein, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Appendix
Reference numerals in the written specification and in the drawing figures indicate corresponding items.
An embodiment of a shoe in accordance with the present disclosure is indicated by reference numeral 100 in
The sole 102 includes an insole board member 120 and a cushion member 122, the insole board member has a top surface 124 and a bottom surface 126. The cushion member 122 has a top surface 128 and a bottom surface 130. The insole board member has a forefoot opening 132. The forefoot opening 132 extends within one or more of the sole toe region 118, sole ball region 116, or sole metatarsal region 114. In the embodiment depicted, the forefoot opening 132 extends within each of the sole toe region 118, sole ball region 116, and the sole metatarsal region 114. The cushion member 122 extends within the forefoot opening 132 such that the top surface 128 of the cushion member 122 is flush with the top surface 124 of the insole board member 120. The cushion member 122 extends downward and outward such that the cushion member 122 overlies the bottom surface 126 of the insole board member 120 in the sole toe region 118, the sole ball region 116, and the sole metatarsal region 114.
The cushion member 122 includes a traction pattern 134 molded into the bottom surface 130 of the cushion member 122. Advantageously, this allows a one-piece cushion member 122 to function both as a cushion member and as the outsole of the shoe 100. This eliminates the need for a separate outsole piece. The opening 132 in the insole board member 120 accommodates the upper portion of the cushion member 122 while the lower portion wraps around the bottom of the insole board to provide a larger ground contact patch than the opening in the insole board. The cushion member 122 is coupled to the insole board 120 using any suitable technique and/or material such as adhesive, stitching, or the like. The insole board member is thermoplastic polyurethane, and the cushion member is compression molded ethylene-vinyl acetate foam. In alternative embodiments, other suitable materials may be used for the cushion member such as thermoplastic polyurethane foam, rubber, plastic, or the like. In alternative embodiments, other suitable materials may be used for the insole board member such as plastic, leather, metal, or the like.
In some embodiments, the insole board member 120 includes more than one component and/or material. For example, the insole board member 120 may include a stiffer portion 136 and a more flexible cushion portion 138. The stiffer portion 136 may function as a shank or otherwise provide rigidity to the shoe 100. The stiffer portion 136 may be made of a suitable material such as thermoplastic polyurethane, metal, plastic, leather, or the like. The cushion portion 138 overlies the stiffer portion 136 and may contribute to the rigidity of the shoe 100 and/or provide cushioning. The cushion portion 138 may be made of a suitable material such as compression molded ethylene-vinyl acetate foam, other foam, plastic, rubber, leather, or the like. The cushion portion 138 may be present only in one or more of the sole heel region 110, sole midfoot region 112, or sole metatarsal region 114. The cushion portion 138 is not present in the sole toe region 118.
In some embodiments, the sole 102 includes a heel member 140. The heel member 140 is coupled to the insole board 120 in the sole heel region 110. For example, the heel member 140 may be coupled to the insole board 120 using nails, screws, adhesives, and/or the like. The heel member 140 may be a stiletto type heel, wedge type heel, or other heel.
The upper 104 coupled to the sole 102 includes an upper heel end 142, an upper toe end 144, an upper heel region 146, an upper midfoot region 148, an upper metatarsal region 150, an upper ball region 152, an upper toe region 154, a rand region 156, a throat region 158, a throat opening 160, a collar region 162, a lateral side 164, and a medial side 166.
The upper heel region 146 extends longitudinally from the upper heel end 142 toward the upper midfoot region 148. The upper midfoot region 148 extends longitudinally from the upper heel region 146 toward the upper metatarsal region 150. The upper metatarsal region 150 extending longitudinally from the upper midfoot region 148 toward the upper ball region 152. The upper ball region 152 extends longitudinally from the upper metatarsal region 150 toward the upper toe region 154. The upper toe region 154 extends longitudinally from the upper ball region 152 to the upper toe end 144. The rand region 156 extends upward from a junction 168 of the sole 102 and the upper 104. The throat opening 160 forms an opening adapted and configured to receive a foot. The collar region 162 extends downward from and around the throat opening 160. The throat region 158 extends longitudinally from the throat opening 160 toward the upper toe end 144.
The upper 104 includes an outer layer 170 and an inner layer 172. The outer layer 170 has an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface of the outer layer 170 is in direct contact with the inner layer 172. The outer layer 170 overlies a portion of the inner layer 172. The outer layer 170 is a hot melt thermoplastic material. For example, and without limitation, the hot melt material may be an ethylene-vinyl acetate base with a terpene-phenol resin tackifier. In alternative embodiments, the base material may be any suitable material such as polyethylene, polyester, polybutene, polyolefin, or the line. Alternative tackifiers may be rosins, terpenes, or the like. Additional additives may include waxes, plasticizers, ultraviolet stabilizers, pigments, or the like.
The inner layer 172 is a material different from that of the outer layer 170. For example, the inner layer 172 is neoprene (e.g., neoprene foam). In alternative embodiments, the inner layer 172 is one or more of neoprene, leather, faux leather, knitted fabric, or non-knitted fabric. In still further alternative embodiments, the outer layer 170 is hot melt and couples an additional layer (e.g., a leather layer) to the inner layer 172. The additional layer is coextensive with the outer layer 170.
At least a portion of the outer layer 170 is adhered to the inner layer such that the inner layer 172 includes a portion not covered by the outer layer 170. In other words, the inner layer 172 (e.g., of neoprene) is visible and the outer layer 170 of hot melt material is attached over a portion of the inner layer. The outer layer 170 is not adhered to the inner layer 172 using a discrete adhesive separate from the outer layer itself. Rather, the hot melt material composition of the outer layer 170 allows the outer layer to adhere directly to the inner layer. In some embodiments, the outer layer 170 is adhered to only a portion of the inner layer. The inner layer may be at least partially free from the outer layer such that at least a portion of the inner layer is capable of moving independently of the outer layer. In alternative embodiments, the entirety of the outer layer 170 is adhered to the inner layer 172. In some embodiments, the outer layer 170 may also be stitched to the inner layer 172.
The collar region 162 may include a collar formed by stitching the inner layer 172. In some embodiments, additional stitching may be added to the inner layer 172 for decorative or structural effect. Additionally, the shoe 100 may include an interior liner or bootie 192. The liner 192 may be made of a knit fabric, leather, or other suitable material. The liner 192 may be stitched to the inner layer 172. The liner 192 may be coextensive with the inner layer 172. Alternatively, the liner 192 may overlie only a portion of the inner surface of the inner layer 172.
In one embodiment, as depicted in
Referring to
The portion of the outer layer 270 within the upper metatarsal region 250, upper midfoot region 248, and upper heel region 246 extends upward from the junction 268 between the upper and the sole to a sinusoidal upper edge 278. The sinusoidal upper edge 278 has a first apex 280 in the throat region, a second apex 282 in the upper midfoot region of the lateral side, a third apex 284 in the upper heel region on the lateral side, a fourth apex 286 in the upper midfoot region on the medial side, and a fifth apex 288 in the upper heel region on the medial side. The outer layer 270 is not present within a portion of the upper heel region 246 extending transversely about the upper heel end 142 and upward from the junction 268 of the sole and the upper to the throat opening 260.
Referring to
Referring to
Appendix
In view of the foregoing, it should be appreciated that the shoe of the disclosure has several advantages over the prior art.
As various modifications could be made in the constructions and methods herein described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the disclosure, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. For example, the wedge shoe may be any type of wedge shoe, such as a wedge sandal, a wedge pump, an open-toe wedge, a platform wedge, etc. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents.
It should also be understood that when introducing elements in the present disclosure in the claims or in the above description of exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, the terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be open-ended and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, the term “portion” should be construed as meaning some or all of the item or element that it qualifies. Moreover, use of identifiers such as first, second, and third should not be construed in a manner imposing any relative position or time sequence between limitations.
