Article of footwear with banking midsole with embedded resilient plate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10010137-B2
Application number	US-201414447360-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2014
Priority date	Jul 30, 2014
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

An article of footwear may include an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure including a midsole, an outsole secured thereto, and one or more plates embedded within the midsole. Each of the one or more plates has a downwardly-concave side and an upwardly-concave side. The downwardly-concave side may be positioned on a medial side of the footwear, and the upwardly-concave side may be positioned on a lateral side of the footwear. The undulating medio-lateral configuration of each plate may increase the overall support provided to a wearer's foot during a side-to-side or “banking” movement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article of footwear having an upper forming an interior void and a sole structure comprising:
a midsole secured to a lower surface of the upper, the midsole including a polymer foam material;
an outsole including a rubber material and having upper and lower outsole surfaces, the upper outsole surface being secured to a lower surface of the midsole, and the lower outsole surface forming a ground-engaging portion of the footwear; and
a plate entirely encapsulated in the midsole and having an undulating medio-lateral curvature and a rectilinear longitudinal cross-section extending between fore and aft edges of the plate, the plate including a first side with a first edge and a downward-facing concavity, a second side with a second edge and an upward-facing concavity, and an inflection region connecting the first and second sides,
wherein the first edge is positioned below horizontal plane substantially parallel to the lower outsole surface and passing through the inflection region, and the second edge is positioned above the horizontal plane.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the first side of the plate with the downward-facing concavity and the second side of the plate with the upward-facing concavity have a uniform thickness.

3. The article of footwear of claim 2 , wherein the first side is positioned on a medial side of the footwear and the second side is positioned on a lateral side of the footwear.

4. The article of footwear of claim 2 , wherein the first side is positioned on a lateral side of the footwear and the second side is positioned on a medial side of the footwear.

5. The article of footwear of claim 2 , wherein the inflection region is located between the downward-facing concavity and the upward-facing concavity, the inflection region being positioned in a central area of the midsole.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the plate is positioned in a forefoot region of the footwear.

7. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the plate is a single continuous plate.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the plate extends across at least sixty percent of a distance between a proximal medial edge of the midsole and a proximal lateral edge of the midsole.

9. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the plate extends across at least eighty percent of a distance between a proximal medial edge of the midsole and a proximal lateral edge of the midsole.

10. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the plate includes a tapered edge located proximal to one of a medial edge of the midsole and a lateral edge of the midsole.

11. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the plate is formed from one of a thermoplastic polyurethane material, an injection-molding-grade thermoplastic polymer material, an injection-molding-grade thermoset polymer material, a carbon fiber material, an engineered textile with a fused adhesive skin, or a multi-material laminate structure.

12. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure comprising:
a midsole formed from a polymer foam material, the midsole incorporating a single continuous curved plate having an undulating medio-lateral curvature and a rectilinear longitudinal cross-section extending between fore and aft edges of the plate, the curved plate including:
a first side with a downwardly-oriented first edge and a downward-facing concavity,
a second side with an upwardly-oriented second edge and an upward-facing concavity, and
an inflection region located between the first side and the second side;
both the first edge and the second edge being spaced inward from a peripheral edge of the midsole, the first edge being located within a medial side of the midsole and the second edge being located within a lateral side of the midsole; and
an outsole including upper and lower outsole surfaces, the upper outsole surface being secured to a lower surface of the midsole, and the lower outsole surface forming a ground-engaging portion of the footwear,
wherein the first edge is positioned below horizontal plane substantially parallel to the lower outsole surface and passing through the inflection region, and the second edge is positioned above the horizontal plane.

13. The article of footwear of claim 12 , wherein the plate is positioned in a forefoot region of the sole structure.

14. The article of footwear of claim 12 , wherein the plate is spaced from both an upper surface of the midsole and the lower surface of the midsole, the plate being entirely encapsulated by the midsole.

15. The article of footwear of claim 12 , wherein the undulating medio-lateral curvature is defined by the downward-facing concavity, the inflection region, and the upward-facing concavity.

16. The article of footwear of claim 12 , wherein the plate extends across at least sixty percent of a distance between a proximal medial edge of the midsole and a proximal lateral edge of the midsole.

17. The article of footwear of claim 12 , wherein the plate extends across at least eighty percent of a distance between a proximal medial edge of the midsole and a proximal lateral edge of the midsole.

18. The article of footwear of claim 12 , wherein the inflection region is positioned both in a central area of the plate and in a central area of the midsole.

19. The article of footwear of claim 12 , wherein the plate further has a tapered edge located proximal to one of a medial edge of the midsole and a lateral edge of the midsole.

20. The article of footwear of claim 12 , wherein the plate is formed from one of a thermoplastic polyurethane material, an injection-molding-grade thermoplastic polymer material, an injection-molding-grade thermoset polymer material, a carbon fiber material, an engineered textile with a fused adhesive skin, or a multi-material laminate structure.

21. An article of footwear for a foot of a user, the article of footwear comprising:
an upper configured to receive the foot of the user and including a lower surface;
a midsole secured to the lower surface of the upper and including a first polymeric material, the midsole having a lateral edge, a medial edge, and a lower midsole surface;
an outsole with upper and lower outsole surfaces, the upper outsole surface secured to the lower midsole surface, the outsole including a second polymeric material, the lower outsole surface defining a ground-engaging portion of the article of footwear located opposite from the upper outsole surface; and
a plate having an undulating medio-lateral curvature and a rectilinear longitudinal cross-section extending between fore and aft edges of the plate, the plate being entirely encapsulated within the midsole and including a third polymeric material, the plate including a first lateral side with a downward-facing concavity terminating at a first lateral edge, a second lateral side with an upward-facing concavity terminating at a second lateral edge, and an inflection region interposed between and connecting the first and second lateral sides, the first lateral side being positioned between the second lateral side and the medial edge of the midsole,
wherein the first lateral edge is positioned below a horizontal plane substantially parallel to the lower outsole surface and passing through the inflection region, and
wherein the second lateral edge is positioned above the horizontal plane passing through the inflection region.

22. The article of footwear o

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Foxen Thomas

Classifications

• A43B13/125 Primary

  characterised by the midsole or middle layer · CPC title

• A43B13/181

  Resiliency achieved by the structure of the sole · CPC title

• A43B13/188

  Differential cushioning regions · CPC title

• A43B13/14

  characterised by the constructive form · CPC title

• A43B13/187

  Resiliency achieved by the features of the material, e.g. foam, non liquid materials · CPC title