Article Of Footwear
An article of footwear is provided, which may include an upper and a sole structure. The sole structure may include a chassis including a forefoot region, a midfoot region, a heel region, a lateral width, a longitudinal axis, and a reinforcing rib disposed longitudinally and having a length along the longitudinal axis. The rib may include a rearward end disposed proximate the heel region of the chassis, the rib longitudinally extending substantially through the midfoot region of the chassis to a forward end of the rib. Also, the lateral width of the reinforcing rib may span a substantial majority of the lateral width of the chassis over a substantial majority of the length of the rib. Further, the lateral width of the rib at the forward end and the rearward end is less than or equal to the lateral width of the rib at any point between the rearward end and the forward end.
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The present disclosure is directed to an article of footwear and, more particularly, to an article of footwear having a sole structure including a chassis having both rigid and flexible components.
Conventional articles of athletic footwear include two primary elements, an upper and a sole structure. The upper provides a covering for the foot that comfortably receives and securely positions the foot with respect to the sole structure. The sole structure is secured to a lower portion of the upper and is generally positioned between the foot and the ground. In addition to attenuating ground reaction forces (that is, providing cushioning) during walking, running, and other ambulatory activities, the sole structure may influence foot motions (for example, by resisting pronation), impart stability, and provide traction, for example. Accordingly, the upper and the sole structure operate cooperatively to provide a comfortable structure that is suited for a wide variety of athletic activities.
The upper is often formed from a plurality of material elements (for example, textiles, polymer sheets, foam layers, leather, synthetic leather) that are stitched or adhesively bonded together to define a void on the interior of the footwear for comfortably and securely receiving a foot. More particularly, the upper forms a structure that extends over instep and toe areas of the foot, along medial and lateral sides of the foot, and around a heel area of the foot. The upper may also incorporate a lacing system to adjust fit of the footwear, as well as permit entry and removal of the foot from the void within the upper. In addition, the upper may include a tongue that extends under the lacing system to enhance adjustability and comfort of the footwear, and the upper may incorporate a heel counter.
The sole structure generally incorporates multiple layers: a sockliner, a midsole, and a ground-engaging component. The sockliner is a thin, compressible member located within the upper and adjacent to a plantar (that is, lower) surface of the foot to enhance footwear comfort. The midsole is secured to a lower surface of the upper and forms a middle layer of the sole structure. Many midsole configurations are primarily formed from a resilient polymer foam material, such as polyurethane (PU) or ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), that extends throughout the length and width of the footwear. The midsole may also incorporate plates, moderators, fluid-filled chambers, and/or other elements that further attenuate forces, influence the motions of the foot, and/or impart stability, for example. The ground-engaging component may be fashioned from a durable and wear-resistant material (for example, rubber) that includes texturing to improve traction.
Sole structures have been developed that include reinforcing plates having a substantially narrow configuration in conjunction with outsoles also having a similarly narrow configuration. However, such reinforcing plates have front or rear sections that flare to a wider shape. These flared configurations can add weight, and restrict flexibility in the forefoot sections of the shoe.
The related art lacks provisions for accommodating flexing of various features of a foot. There is a need for articles that address the limitations of the related art.
SUMMARYIn one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to an article of footwear. The article of footwear may include an upper configured to receive a foot and a sole structure fixedly attached to the upper and including a sole component having a ground-engaging lower surface. The sole structure may further include a chassis configured to provide support to the sole component, wherein the chassis includes a forefoot region, a midfoot region, a heel region, a lateral width, a longitudinal axis, and a reinforcing rib disposed longitudinally and having a length along the longitudinal axis. In addition, the reinforcing rib may include a rearward end disposed proximate the heel region of the chassis, the reinforcing rib longitudinally extending substantially through the midfoot region of the chassis to a forward end of the reinforcing rib. Also, the reinforcing rib may have a lateral width that spans a substantial majority of the lateral width of the chassis over a substantial majority of the length of the reinforcing rib. Further, the lateral width of the reinforcing rib at the forward end and the rearward end is less than or equal to the lateral width of the reinforcing rib at any point between the rearward end and the forward end.
In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to an article of footwear. The article of footwear may include an upper configured to receive a foot and a sole structure fixedly attached to the upper and including a sole component having a ground-engaging lower surface. The sole structure may further include a chassis configured to provide support to the sole component, wherein the chassis includes a forefoot region, a midfoot region, a heel region, a lateral width, a longitudinal axis, and a central portion extending through at least a portion of the forefoot region, the midfoot region, and the heel region. The chassis may further include a plurality of chassis projections extending laterally from the central portion of the chassis wherein at least one of the chassis projections is made from a first material and a second material having a substantially different level of flexibility than the first material.
In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed to an article of footwear. The article of footwear may include an upper configured to receive a foot; and a sole structure fixedly attached to the upper and including a sole component having a ground-engaging lower surface. The sole structure may further include a chassis configured to provide support to the sole component, wherein the chassis includes a forefoot region, a midfoot region, a heel region, a lateral width, and a central portion extending through at least a portion of the forefoot region, the midfoot region, and the heel region. The chassis may further include a plurality of chassis projections extending laterally from the central portion of the chassis; a reinforcing rib disposed longitudinally and having a longitudinal length and a lateral width; and one or more chassis projections extending from the central portion of the chassis. In addition, the reinforcing rib may include a rearward end disposed proximate the heel region of the chassis, the reinforcing rib longitudinally extending substantially through the midfoot region of the chassis to a forward end of the reinforcing rib. Further, over a substantial majority of the length of the reinforcing rib, the lateral width of the reinforcing rib may span a substantial majority of the lateral width of the chassis. Also, the lateral width of the reinforcing rib at the forward end and the rearward end may be less than or equal to the lateral width of the reinforcing rib at any point between the rearward end and the forward end. In addition, a first portion of the chassis may be formed of a first material and a second portion of the chassis is formed of a second material having a substantially different level of flexibility than the first material.
Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the current embodiments will be, or will become, apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description and this summary, be within the scope of the current embodiments, and be protected by the following claims.
The current embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the current embodiments. Moreover, in the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.
The following discussion and accompanying figures disclose a sole structure for an article of footwear. Concepts associated with the footwear disclosed herein may be applied to a variety of athletic footwear types, including running shoes, baseball shoes, basketball shoes, cross-training shoes, cycling shoes, football shoes, golf shoes, tennis shoes, walking shoes, and hiking shoes and boots, for example. The concepts may also be applied to footwear types that are generally considered to be non-athletic, including dress shoes, loafers, sandals, and work boots. Accordingly, the concepts disclosed herein apply to a wide variety of footwear types.
For consistency and convenience, directional adjectives are employed throughout this detailed description corresponding to the illustrated embodiments. The term “longitudinal,” as used throughout this detailed description and in the claims, refers to a direction extending a length of a sole structure. In some cases, the longitudinal direction may extend from a forefoot portion to a heel portion of the sole. Also, the term “lateral,” as used throughout this detailed description and in the claims, refers to a direction extending a width of a sole. In other words, the lateral direction may extend between a medial side and a lateral side of footwear 10, with the lateral side of footwear 10 being the surface that faces away from the other foot, and the medial side being the surface that faces toward the other foot.
Furthermore, the term “vertical,” as used throughout this detailed description and in the claims, refers to a direction generally perpendicular to a lateral and longitudinal direction. For example, in cases where a sole is planted flat on a ground surface, the vertical direction may extend from the ground surface upward. It will be understood that each of these directional adjectives may be applied to individual components of a sole. In addition, the terms “upward” and “downward,” as used throughout this detailed description and the claims, refer to modes of vertical bending and/or deflection. For example, the term “upwards” refers to the vertical direction heading away from a ground surface, while the term “downwards” refers to the vertical direction heading towards the ground surface.
For purposes of this disclosure, the term fixedly attached shall refer to two components joined in a manner such that the components may not be readily separated (for example, without destroying one or both of the components). Exemplary modalities of fixed attachment may include joining with permanent adhesive, rivets, stitches, nails, staples, welding or other thermal bonding, and/or other joining techniques.
Footwear StructureSince sole structure 12 and upper 14 both span substantially the entire length of footwear 10, the terms forefoot region 16, midfoot region 18, and heel region 20 apply not only to footwear 10 in general, but also to sole structure 12 and upper 14, as well as the individual elements of sole structure 12 and upper 14.
The disclosed footwear components may be formed of any suitable materials. In some embodiments, one or more materials disclosed in Lyden et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,954), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, may be used.
As shown in
Sole structure 12 may be fixedly attached to upper 14 (for example, with adhesive, stitching, welding, and/or other suitable techniques) and may have a configuration that extends between upper 14 and the ground. Sole structure 12 may include provisions for attenuating ground reaction forces (that is, cushioning the foot). In addition, sole structure 12 may be configured to provide traction, impart stability, and/or limit various foot motions, such as pronation, supination, and/or other motions. The configuration of sole structure 12 may vary significantly according to one or more types of ground surfaces on which sole structure 12 may be used, for example, natural turf, synthetic turf, dirt, pavement (for example, asphalt, concrete, and other types of pavement), as well as indoor surfaces, such as hardwood, synthetic rubber surfaces, tile, and other indoor surfaces. In addition, the configuration of sole structure 12 may vary significantly based according to the type of activity for which footwear 10 is anticipated to be used (for example, running, walking, soccer, baseball, basketball, and other activities). Footwear 10 is depicted in the accompanying figures as a cleated shoe, having a sole structure suited for natural and/or synthetic turf. Although footwear 10, as depicted, may be suited for soccer, such a cleated shoe may be applicable for use in other activities on natural and/or synthetic turf, such as baseball, football, and other such activities where traction and grip may be significantly enhanced by cleat members. However, many of the features of footwear 10 discussed herein may be applicable to other types of footwear, including non-cleated footwear.
In some embodiments, sole structure 12 may include multiple components, which may individually and/or collectively provide footwear 10 with a number of attributes, such as support, rigidity, flexibility, stability, cushioning, comfort, reduced weight, and/or other attributes. In some embodiments, sole structure 12 may include an insole 26, a midsole 28, a chassis 100, and a sole component 30, as shown in
Insole 26 may be disposed in the void defined by upper 14. Insole 26 may extend through each of regions 16, 18, and 20 and between the lateral and medial sides of footwear 10. Insole 26 may be formed of a deformable (for example, compressible) material, such as polyurethane foams, or other polymer foam materials. Accordingly, insole 26 may, by virtue of its compressibility, provide cushioning, and may also conform to the foot in order to provide comfort, support, and stability.
In some embodiments, insole 26 may be removable from footwear 10, for example, for replacement or washing. In other embodiments, insole 26 may be integrally formed with the footbed of upper 14. In other embodiments, insole 26 may be fixedly attached within footwear 10, for example, via permanent adhesive, welding, stitching, and/or another suitable technique.
In some embodiments of footwear 10, upper 14 may surround insole 26, including on an underside thereof. In other embodiments, upper 14 may not extend fully beneath insole 26, and thus, in such embodiments, insole 26 may rest atop midsole 28 (or atop chassis 100 in embodiments that do not include a midsole).
As noted above, footwear 10 is depicted in
In some embodiments, a footwear sole structure may include structural elements that provide stiffness, support, and/or strength. In addition, structural features may be included that distribute ground reaction forces and/or increase performance during engagement with ground surface irregularities. Structural elements that provide the foregoing properties may include one or more plate-like chassis components disposed within a sole structure. The chassis may be configured with various geometries in order to achieve certain attributes, such as those discussed above. Such attributes may also be achieved by selection of materials for the various components and regions of the sole structure that provide desired performance characteristics.
As shown in
In some embodiments, the sole structure according to the disclosed embodiments may include features configured to provide rigidity, strength, and/or support to various aspects of the sole structure without substantially adding weight. For example, some exemplary sole structure embodiments may include a plate-like chassis having features configured to provide increased stiffness. The chassis may be configured to provide support to a ground-engaging sole component fixedly attached to the chassis. The chassis may include certain features that provide resistance to vertical bending, lateral bending, and/or torsion. In some embodiments, a reinforcing rib may be provided longitudinally along the chassis. In some embodiments, the reinforcing rib may include a hollow structure, and thus, may provide rigidity without adding substantial amounts of extra material, and therefore maintains a low weight.
As shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in the accompanying figures, the lateral width of rib 110 may span a substantial majority of the lateral width of chassis 100 over a substantial majority of the length of rib 110. In addition, in some embodiments, the lateral width of rib 110 at forward end 114 and rearward end 112 is less than or equal to the lateral width of rib 110 at any point between rearward end 112 and forward end 114.
According to some embodiments, an exemplary reinforcing rib may include, not only features that provide support and stiffness (e.g., resistance to bending and torsion), but also features that provide gradual transition between stiffened portions of the chassis and portions of the chassis that are desired to remain flexible. For example, in some embodiments, certain aspects of the rib may taper in size in one or more dimensions.
In some embodiments, rib 110, may have a lateral width that tapers toward rearward end 112 and/or forward end 114, as shown in
In some embodiments, rib 110 may be a substantially hollow structure including a longitudinally elongate cavity 116 formed in chassis 100. In addition, rib 110 may include reinforcing structure within cavity 116. In some embodiments, the reinforcing structure may include a plurality of partition members 118, which may provide cross-bracing support. As shown in
In some embodiments, partition members 118 may be formed simultaneously with other portions of chassis 100 (for example in the same injection molding process). In other embodiments, partition members 118 may be injection molded into cavity 116 in a preformed chassis plate. In still other embodiments, partition members 118 may be formed separately and bonded into cavity 116. In such embodiments, partition members 118 may be separately injection molded. In other such embodiments, partition members 118 may be formed by other processes, such as carbon-fiber layup and curing, to form a preformed structure, which may be bonded into cavity 116 or fastened within cavity 116 using an alternative process.
In some embodiments, chassis 100 and sole component 30 may both be formed separately, and then joined together, for example, by welding, adhesive, and/or other techniques. In other embodiments, chassis 100 may be formed first, and then placed within a mold, and sole component 30 may be molded around chassis 100, effectively welding the two components together in the process. Alternatively, sole component 30 may be formed first and placed within a mold. Then, chassis 100 may be injection molded into the preformed sole component 30.
In some cases, one or more preformed ground engaging members (for example, cleat studs) may be inserted into a mold, and sole component 30 may be formed by, for example, injection molding of material into the mold to thus join with the preformed ground engaging members in the mold. In some embodiments, a sole component 30 formed in this manner may be subsequently bonded to a preformed version of chassis 100 in a separate process. In other embodiments, sole component 30 may be co-molded with chassis 100 as described above. In such a process, both a preformed chassis 100 and preformed ground engaging members may be inserted into a mold configured to form the assembly of sole component 30 and chassis 100. Alternatively, the assembly of sole component 30 and chassis 100 may be formed by any other suitable process.
In some embodiments, an exemplary chassis may include features that provide comfort. For example, in some embodiments, the chassis may have a substantially flat top surface. Therefore, the top portions of various elements may sit flush with the top surface of the chassis. Further, the chassis may have some degree of curvature in various areas to accommodate the natural curvatures of the foot.
As shown in
As also shown in
As discussed above, the lateral width of rib 110 may span a substantial majority of the lateral width of chassis 100 over a substantial majority of length of rib 110. As shown in
As also discussed above, the height of rib 110 may taper toward rearward end 112 and forward end 114 of rib 110. In some embodiments, at the portion of chassis 100 corresponding approximately with line 5-5 in
As discussed above, the lateral width of rib 110 may span a substantial majority of the lateral width of chassis 100 over a substantial majority of the length of rib 110. Therefore, as shown in
As also discussed above, the height of rib 110 may taper toward rearward end 112 and forward end 114 of rib 110. At the portion of chassis 100 corresponding approximately with line 6-6 in
According to the disclosed embodiments, an exemplary chassis may provide support to a sole structure for an article of footwear where it is most effective, and may do so using a reduced amount of material and, accordingly, a lower weight. In addition, as discussed in greater detail below, the disclosed chassis configuration may also enable different portions of the sole structure to deflect on a more independent basis, which may allow the sole structure to conform to ground surface irregularities, keeping more of the ground-engaging sole component in contact with the ground surface, thereby maintaining traction and providing stability. In some embodiments, both reduced weight, and selective flexibility may be provided with, for example, independently bendable projections extending from a central portion of the chassis. In between the projections may be gaps, where material would otherwise be disposed. Thus, removal of this material reduces weight, while allowing the remaining portions of the chassis to deflect substantially independently of one another.
Returning again to
Referring now to
Materials selection may significantly influence the performance characteristics of a chassis for an article of footwear. For example, the relative flexibility of the material selected for various portions of a chassis may contribute to the stiffness, strength, durability, comfort, and other structural characteristics that the chassis may provide to a sole structure and, ultimately, to an article of footwear. In some embodiments, more than one material may be utilized to form an exemplary chassis. The materials may have similar or very different attributes, and may be used to form different portions of the chassis accordingly. For example, in some embodiments, it may be desirable to provide a chassis that is relatively stiff in one area, and relatively flexible in another.
Chassis 100 may be formed of one or more suitable polymer, composite, and/or metal alloy materials. Exemplary such materials may include thermoplastic and thermoset polyurethane, polyester, nylon, polyether block amide, alloys of polyurethane and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, carbon fiber, poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide (para-aramid fibers, e.g., Kevlar®), titanium alloys, and/or aluminum alloys. In some embodiments, one or more portions of chassis 100 may be formed of a composite material. For instance, in some embodiments, at least one portion of chassis 100 may be formed of a carbon-Kevlar® composite (for example a carbon fiber/Kevlar®). Still other suitable materials will be recognized by a skilled artisan.
In some embodiments, different materials may be selected for different portions of the chassis. For example, in some embodiments, a first portion of the chassis may be formed of a first material and a second portion of the chassis may be formed of a second material having a substantially different level of flexibility than the first material. In some embodiments, heel region 20 and/or midfoot region 18 may be formed of a first material, and forefoot region 16 may be formed of a second material that is substantially more flexible than the first material. Those having ordinary skill in the art will recognize other configurations regarding the placement of the materials having differing levels of flexibility.
Further, in some embodiments, at least one of chassis projections 140 may be made from two different materials. For example, as shown, e.g., in
According to some embodiments, an exemplary chassis may be assembled, and work in conjunction, with other components of a sole structure. An exemplary chassis may provide strength, support, rigidity, flexibility, and other performance attributes to a ground-engaging sole component. In some embodiments, certain portions of the chassis may correspond with certain portions of the ground-engaging sole component. In some cases the certain portions of the chassis may provide certain characteristics to the corresponding portions of the sole component. Further, in some cases, the corresponding portions may work in harmony with one another to provide the sole structure and, ultimately the article of footwear with desired performance characteristics.
In addition, an exemplary disclosed ground-engaging sole component may include features to provide traction/grip in one or more directions. In some embodiments, sole component may include one or more ground-engaging members (e.g., cleats). Ground-engaging members may have any of a variety of shapes and forms. In addition, ground-engaging members may be disposed on the sole component at various locations. The shape, size, material, and placement of ground-engaging members may be selected to provide traction according to an anticipated set of conditions in which the article of footwear will be used. Factors considered when configuring ground-engaging members may include, for example, the ground surface on which the activity will take place, the nature of the activity, the size of the athlete, and/or other parameters.
As shown in
It will be understood that any type of ground-engaging members could be used with sole structure 12. In some cases, ground-engaging members 904 could be configured to engage a soft ground surface. For example, in one embodiment, ground-engaging members 904 be configured to engage a soft grass surface. In other cases, ground-engaging members 904 could be configured to engage a hard surface. For example, in one embodiment ground-engaging members 904 could be configured to engage a hard grass surface or artificial turf. In still other embodiments, any other types of ground-engaging members could be used.
Although the current embodiment includes ground-engaging members that are mounted to portions of an outer member, in other embodiments ground-engaging members could be mounted directly to a reinforcing plate. For example, in some embodiments, one or more ground-engaging members could be mounted directly to a chassis projection of a chassis. In some such embodiments, the sole structure may not include a separate outer member (sole component).
In addition to ground-engaging members 904, sole component 30 may include one or more secondary traction elements. For example, sole component 30 may include a central cleat member 906. Central cleat member 906 may be disposed in a central region of sole component 30 corresponding with the ball of the foot. In some embodiments, central cleat member 906 may be of a shorter vertical height than ground-engaging members 904. Also, in some embodiments, sole component 30 may include one or more textured surfaces 908. In some embodiments, textured surfaces 908 may include, for example, a plurality of short, peaked ground-engaging members, as shown in the accompanying figures (see, e.g.,
Sole component 30 may also include other types of secondary traction elements. For example, in some embodiments, sole component 30 may include one or more support members 170 configured to provide support to ground-engaging members 904. While support members 170 may provide support to ground-engaging members 904, support members 170 may also provide additional traction/grip. Support members 170 may have any shape and/or configuration, including any of the various embodiments disclosed in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 13/234,180, filed on Sep. 16, 2011, entitled “Shaped Support Features for Footwear Ground-Engaging Members,” U.S. application Ser. No. 13/234,182, filed on Sep. 16, 2011, entitled “Orientations for Footwear Ground-Engaging Member Support Features,” U.S. application Ser. No. 13/234,183, filed on Sep. 16, 2011, entitled “Spacing for Footwear Ground-Engaging Member Support Features,” and U.S. application Ser. No. 13/234,185, filed on Sep. 16, 2011, entitled “Sole Arrangement with Ground-Engaging Member Support Features,” each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
According to some embodiments, portions of assembly 900 may be configured to deflect to allow movement of individual ground-engaging members 904. For example, in some embodiments, an exemplary sole structure may be configured to allow each of the ground-engaging members and the chassis projection with which it is associated to deflect substantially independently from the other ground-engaging members and other chassis projections respectively associated therewith.
While the rigidity of assembly 900 may be greater than that of either sole component 30 or chassis 100 as separate units, sole component 30 may include features that, even when the components are assembled together, allow assembly 900 to retain flexibility in certain areas. For example, like chassis 100, as shown in
Due at least in part to the reduced amount of material between gaps 912 in assembly 900, a forward portion 918 of the forefoot region of assembly 900 may be configured to readily deflect under loads. For example, as shown in
In addition to allowing the entirety of forward portion 918 to deflect, assembly 900 may also include provisions to enable a medial section 919 and a lateral section 920 sections of forward portion 918 including a forward medial ground-engaging member 921 and a forward lateral ground-engaging member 922 to deflect individually. For example, sole component 30 may include a hinge element 924, disposed separating medial section 919 and lateral section 920. Hinge element 924 may function similar to a “living hinge,” by having a reduced thickness, thus allowing medial section 919 and lateral section 920 to bend with respect to one another at the joint formed by hinge element 924. The material of assembly 900 in the area between ground-engaging members 921 and 922 is further reduced by through hole 125 in sole component 30. These features of sole component 30, in conjunction with the separate forward chassis projections 156 and 158 of chassis 100, enable medial section 919 and a lateral section 920 of forward portion 918 on which ground-engaging members 921 and 922 are disposed to deflect individually. For example, as shown in
By providing chassis projections portions associated with ground-engaging members that can bend and/or twist, a sole structure can be configured to provide increased ground contact on irregular ground surfaces. In particular, chassis projections associated with the ball of the foot and forward chassis projections, associated with a front portion of the forefoot region can deflect in a manner that accommodates the natural motion of the foot while providing substantially consistent ground contact. Thus, sections of assembly 900 may deflect individually according to ground surface irregularities. For example sections of assembly 900 may deflect upwardly (e.g., when stepping on a rock), downwardly (when stepping in a hole in ground surface 1302), and/or may twist to accommodate ground surface irregularities that are not engaged squarely with a ground-engaging member. This adaptive attribute may facilitate athlete 904 maintaining good balance and consistent traction.
According to some embodiments, a sole structure may include provisions for strengthening ground-engaging members. In some embodiments, a chassis may include features that enhance the strength of ground-engaging members, without adding a significant amount of weight. For example, in some embodiments, a chassis may include recesses on a top side and corresponding protrusions on the bottom side. A mating sole component may include corresponding recesses above ground-engaging members. This assembly may enable ground-engaging members with a shorter root structure (that is, the non-exposed portion of the ground-engaging member) to be formed, without sacrificing strength. This type of feature may be employed with any of a variety of ground-engaging elements that protrude from a sole.
Referring again to
In addition, in some embodiments, one or more of recesses 164 may include a tapering channel 168. Channels 168 may be positioned at locations that, when chassis 100 is assembled with sole component 30, will reside above one or more of support members 910. In some embodiments, tapering channels 168 may have a triangular cross-sectional shape, as shown in
While various embodiments have been described, the description is intended to be exemplary, rather than limiting and it will be apparent to those in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of the current embodiments. Accordingly, the current embodiments are not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. Features described in one embodiment may or may not be included in other embodiments described herein. Also, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the attached claims.
Claims
1. An article of footwear, comprising:
- an upper configured to receive a foot; and
- a sole structure fixedly attached to the upper and including a sole component having a ground-engaging lower surface, the sole structure further including a chassis configured to provide support to the sole component, wherein the chassis includes a forefoot region, a midfoot region, a heel region, a lateral width, and a reinforcing rib disposed longitudinally and having a longitudinal length and a lateral width;
- wherein the reinforcing rib includes a rearward end disposed proximate the heel region of the chassis, the reinforcing rib longitudinally extending substantially through the midfoot region of the chassis to a forward end of the reinforcing rib;
- wherein, over a substantial majority of the length of the reinforcing rib, the lateral width of the reinforcing rib spans a substantial majority of the lateral width of the chassis; and
- wherein the lateral width of the reinforcing rib at the forward end and the rearward end is less than or equal to the lateral width of the reinforcing rib at any point between the rearward end and the forward end.
2. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing rib is a substantially hollow structure including a longitudinally elongate cavity formed in the chassis.
3. The article of footwear according to claim 2, wherein at least one location along the longitudinal axis, the reinforcing rib has a cross-sectional shape that is substantially trapezoidal.
4. The article of footwear according to claim 2, wherein the reinforcing rib includes reinforcing structure within the cavity.
5. The article of footwear according to claim 4, wherein the reinforcing structure includes a plurality of partition members arranged in a crisscross pattern.
6. The article of footwear according to claim 5, wherein the reinforcing structure further includes a longitudinally-disposed central partition member bisecting the partition members arranged in a crisscross pattern.
7. The article of footwear according to claim 4, wherein top portions of the reinforcing structure are flush with top portions of the chassis.
8. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the sole component includes a plurality of ground-engaging members, wherein one or more of the ground-engaging members are respectively associated with one or more chassis projections extending laterally from a central portion of the chassis.
9. The article of footwear according to claim 8, wherein the sole structure is configured to allow each of the ground-engaging members and the chassis projection with which it is associated to deflect substantially independently from the other ground-engaging members and associated chassis projections.
10. The article of footwear according to claim 8, wherein the chassis includes at least one recess on a top surface thereof at a location above one of the plurality of ground-engaging members.
11. The article of footwear according to claim 10, wherein the at least one recess is substantially round.
12. The article of footwear according to claim 10, wherein the at least one recess includes a tapering channel with a triangular cross-sectional shape disposed above a support member adjacent one of the plurality of ground-engaging members.
13. An article of footwear, comprising:
- an upper configured to receive a foot; and
- a sole structure fixedly attached to the upper and including a sole component having a ground-engaging lower surface, the sole structure further including a chassis configured to provide support to the sole component, wherein the chassis includes a forefoot region, a midfoot region, a heel region, a lateral width, and a central portion extending through at least a portion of the forefoot region, the midfoot region, and the heel region, the chassis further including a plurality of chassis projections extending laterally from the central portion of the chassis;
- wherein at least one of the chassis projections is made from a first material and a second material having a substantially different level of flexibility than the first material.
14. The article of footwear according to claim 13, wherein the at least one chassis projection is disposed in the forefoot region at a location corresponding with the ball of the foot.
15. The article of footwear according to claim 14, wherein the first material is disposed at a rearward portion of the at least one chassis projection and the second material is disposed at a forward portion of the at least one chassis projection and is substantially more flexible than the first material.
16. The article of footwear according to claim 13, wherein the sole component includes a plurality of ground-engaging members, wherein one or more of the ground-engaging members are respectively associated with one or more of the chassis projections.
17. The article of footwear according to claim 16, wherein the sole structure is configured to allow each of the ground-engaging members and the chassis projection with which it is associated to deflect substantially independently from the other ground-engaging members and chassis projections respectively associated therewith.
18. The article of footwear according to claim 16, wherein the chassis includes at least one recess on a top surface thereof at a location above one of the plurality of ground-engaging members.
19. The article of footwear according to claim 18, wherein the at least one recess is substantially round.
20. The article of footwear according to claim 18, wherein the at least one recess includes a tapering channel with a triangular cross-sectional shape disposed above a support member adjacent one of the plurality of ground-engaging members.
21. An article of footwear, comprising:
- an upper configured to receive a foot; and
- a sole structure fixedly attached to the upper and including a sole component having a ground-engaging lower surface, the sole structure further including a chassis configured to provide support to the sole component, wherein the chassis includes a forefoot region, a midfoot region, a heel region, a lateral width, and a central portion extending through at least a portion of the forefoot region, the midfoot region, and the heel region; the chassis further including a plurality of chassis projections extending laterally from the central portion of the chassis; a reinforcing rib disposed longitudinally and having a longitudinal length and a lateral width; and one or more chassis projections extending from the central portion of the chassis;
- wherein the reinforcing rib includes a rearward end disposed proximate the heel region of the chassis, the reinforcing rib longitudinally extending substantially through the midfoot region of the chassis to a forward end of the reinforcing rib;
- wherein, over a substantial majority of the length of the reinforcing rib, the lateral width of the reinforcing rib spans a substantial majority of the lateral width of the chassis;
- wherein the lateral width of the reinforcing rib at the forward end and the rearward end is less than or equal to the lateral width of the reinforcing rib at any point between the rearward end and the forward end; and
- wherein a first portion of the chassis is formed of a first material and a second portion of the chassis is formed of a second material having a substantially different level of flexibility than the first material.
22. The article of footwear according to claim 21, wherein the first portion of the chassis includes the heel region or the midfoot region and the second portion includes the forefoot region, and wherein the second material in the second portion is substantially more flexible than the first material in the first portion.
23. The article of footwear according to claim 21, wherein the sole component includes a plurality of ground-engaging members, wherein one or more of the ground-engaging members are respectively associated with one or more of the one or more chassis projections.
24. The article of footwear according to claim 23, wherein the sole structure is configured to allow each of the ground-engaging members and the chassis projection with which it is associated to deflect substantially independently from the other ground-engaging members and associated chassis projections.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 16, 2011
Publication Date: Mar 21, 2013
Applicant: Nike, Inc. (Beaverton, OR)
Inventors: Perry W. Auger (Tigard, OR), Andrew Caine (Portland, OR), Sergio Cavaliere (Venezia)
Application Number: 13/234,244