Abstract: The invention is an article of footwear incorporating insulation material, such as a low bulk insulation material, to provide warmth in cold weather, yet with the style, agility, and breathability of a typical conventional shoe or boot. Additionally, in a further embodiment, the invention includes these features in a shoe or boot which is also waterproof and breathable. These aspects of the present invention are achieved through a placement, or mapping, of low bulk insulation to maximize the footwear article attributes of warmth, style, agility, and breathability.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 20, 2016
Date of Patent:
January 1, 2019
Assignees:
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., W. L. Gore & Associati, S.r.l.
Inventors:
Michael Magyar, Leslie Rikleen, Eric O'Bryan, Andrea Giupponi
Abstract: Item of footwear (100) having an upper arrangement (112) and a sole (114), wherein the upper arrangement (112) has a top material (116) and on air-permeable layer (140) arranged in a base of the upper, the air-permeable layer (140) is arranged above the sole (114), in a sole-side, bottom region of the upper arrangement (112), the air-permeable layer (140) has a three-dimensional structure allowing the through-passage of air in at least the horizontal direction, and a sole-side, bottom peripheral region of the top material (116) of the upper is replaced, over at least part of its peripheral extent, by at least one connecting material (210) which, beginning at least above an underside of the air-permeable layer (140) and running outside the air-permeable layer (140), is arranged on the base of the upper and is air-permeable at least in a sub-region located at least in part at the same level as the air-permeable layer (140), and thus connects the air-permeable layer (140) to the exterior surroundings such that a
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 23, 2015
Date of Patent:
September 12, 2017
Assignees:
W. L. Gore & Associates GmbH, W. L. Gore & Associati, S.r.l.
Inventors:
Marc Peikert, Ambrosius Bauer, Christian Bier, Andrea Giupponi
Abstract: A footwear (10) comprises an upper arrangement (20) and a sole (30), in which the upper arrangement (20) comprises an upper material (12) comprising in a lower peripheral area at least one air permeable portion (14), an air-permeable layer (16) arranged in a lower area of the upper arrangement (20) on the sole side above the sole (30), wherein the air-permeable layer (16) is water vapor permeable and has a three-dimensional structure that permits passage of air at least in the horizontal direction; and at least one water vapor permeable functional layer (18) arranged on an inner side of the upper material (12) and above the air-permeable layer (16).
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 15, 2013
Date of Patent:
June 27, 2017
Assignees:
W. L. Gore & Associates GmbH, W. L. Gore & Associati, S.r.l.
Inventors:
Marc Peikert, Russell Brill, Andrea Giupponi