Shoe with composite upper and foam element and method of making same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10595591-B2
Application number	US-201816045661-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2018
Priority date	Oct 21, 2009
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

A bonded mesh composite panel can be used to form a three-dimensional upper shell that includes extensions used for double-lasting and/or to otherwise provide a shelf to support foam padding. The foam padding may be, e.g., a foam midsole. The extensions of the upper shell may be located in a lower portion of the shell and may be bonded to the foam midsole in a heel, midfoot and/or forefoot regions.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of fabricating a portion of an upper for an article of footwear, comprising:
positioning a plurality of panels into an assembly in which the locations of the panels correspond to locations to be occupied by the panels in a completed upper, wherein the assembly includes
a substrate material panel having a first side and a second side,
a mesh material panel having a first side facing away from the substrate material panel and a second side facing the substrate material panel, at least a portion of the mesh material panel overlapping the substrate material panel in a mesh/substrate overlap area,
a skin material panel having a first side facing away from the substrate material panel and a second side facing the substrate material panel, at least a portion of the skin material panel overlapping both the substrate material panel and the mesh material panel in a skin/mesh/substrate overlap area, and
a first layer of hot melt bonding material positioned between one of (a) the substrate material panel and the mesh material panel, and (b) the mesh material panel and the skin material panel;

compressing the assembly at a first temperature in a first pressing operation during which the first sides of the substrate material, mesh material and skin material panels face a compressible surface conforming to the assembly; and
compressing the assembly at a second temperature in a second pressing operation during which the first sides of the substrate material, mesh material and skin material panels face a compressible surface conforming to the assembly, and
wherein the second pressing operation is performed after the first pressing operation, and the second temperature is lower than the first temperature.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the assembly includes a second layer of hot melt bonding material between the other of (a) the substrate material panel and the mesh material panel, and (b) the mesh material panel and the skin material panel.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first temperature is at or above a melting point of the skin material and the second temperature is substantially below the melting point of the skin material.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second temperature is room temperature.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate material comprises an artificial leather and the mesh material comprises a single layer warped knit with an open structure.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the assembly includes multiple skin material panels, each of the skin material panels having a first side facing away from the substrate material panel and a second side facing the substrate material panel, at least a portion of each of the skin material panels overlapping both the substrate material panel and the mesh material panel.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate material panel includes a plurality of openings and the mesh material panel overlays each of the openings.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the substrate, mesh and skin material panels correspond to a front portion of the completed upper,
the panel assembly includes at least one hindfoot region panel corresponding to a rear portion of the completed upper, and
a portion of the substrate panel along a first edge thereof overlaps a portion of the least one hindfoot region panel along a first edge thereof.

9. The method of claim 8 , comprising joining a second edge of the least one hindfoot region panel to a second edge of the substrate panel to create an upper shell in which the first side of the substrate material in a portion of the substrate material in a lateral shell region faces the first side of the substrate material in a portion of the substrate material in a medial shell region.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the assembly corresponds to a region of the upper that will, at the completion of upper fabrication, cover substantially all of the upper outside of a tongue portion of the completed upper and forward of an intersection of the tongue opening and a collar of the completed upper.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
positioning an upper pan of an assembly jig over a lower pan of the assembly jig, the lower pan having a plurality of locating pins extending away from the lower pan and the upper pan having a surface with a plurality of holes formed therein, the holes having locations corresponding to locations of the locating pins, each locating pin protruding through its corresponding hole after completion of positioning the upper pan, and wherein the act of positioning a plurality of panels into an assembly comprises positioning the plurality of panels on the upper pan, wherein each of said panel locations in the assembly is identified by at least a portion of the locating pins;
placing a compressible pad over the panel assembly so as to provide the compressible surface;
removing the upper pan from the lower pan while the compressible pad is in place over the panel assembly; and
compressing the upper pan, the panel assembly and the compressible pad at the first temperature in the first pressing operation.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein positioning the plurality of panels into the assembly includes placing openings in the panels over the locating pins.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first temperature is at or above a melting point of a material from which at least one of the panels is formed.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising compressing the upper pan, the panel assembly and a compressible pad at the second temperature in the second pressing operation following the first pressing operation, wherein the second temperature is substantially below the first temperature.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second temperature is between 20° C. and 30° C.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the substrate material panel comprises a synthetic leather, and wherein the skin material panel comprises at least one of thermoplastic polyurethane and polyurethane.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the mesh material panel comprises a single layer warped knit with an open structure.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the compressible pad comprises a silicone pad.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Dojan Frederick J
• Johnson Daniel A
• Kohatsu Shane S
• Huang Chin-Chen

Classifications

• A43B1/00

  Footwear characterised by the material · CPC title

• A43B23/0225

  Composite materials, e.g. material with a matrix · CPC title

• B29D35/148

  Moulds or apparatus therefor · CPC title

• A43B23/026 Primary

  Laminated layers · CPC title

• A43B23/0235 Primary

  Different layers of different material · CPC title